E[\im 


BY 


^^OHAVEHVi^^'^^ 


THE  GIFT  OF 

FLORENCE  V.  V.  DICKEY 

TO  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

AT  LOS  ANGELES 


THE  DONALD  R.  DICKEY 
i  LIBRARY 

OF  VERTEBRATE  ZOOLOGY 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2007  witii  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.arcliive.org/details/biggameofnortliaOOsliieiala 


^^^^^^^^v^  uf.   \//U^^ 


/, 


^'i/'    "Z^'^^'^Y, 


THE 


Big  Game  of  North  America. 


ITS  HABITS,  HABITAT, 

HAUNTS,  AND  CHARACTERISTICS;  HOW,  WHEN, 

AND   WHERE    TO    HUNT   IT. 


JuDGK  John  Dean  Caton,  Newton  Hibbs  ("Roxey  Newton"),  W.  A.  Pekry  ("Sillalicum"), 

Wm.  p.  Lett  ("Algoncjuin"),  Arthur  W.  Du  Bray  ("Gaucho"),  Walter  M.  Wolfe 

("Shoshone"),  Rev.  Joshua  Cooke  ("Boone"),  T.  S.  Van  Dyke,  Wm.  B.  Lef- 

FiNGWELL,  T.  G.  Farrell,  Dr.  R.  B.  Cantrell,  Col.  Geo.  D.  Alexander, 

M.  E.  Allison,  Rev.  Dr.W.  S.  Rainsford,  C.  A.  Cooper  (  "Sibyllene"), 

Dr.  M.  G.  Ellzey,  J.  C.  Nattrass,  Orin  Belknap    ("Uncle 

Fuli-er"),  H.  Biederbick,  John  Fannin,  Sergt.  Francis 

Long,   Daniel  Arrowsmith  ("Sangamon"),  Cyrus 

W.  Butler,  and  A.  G.  Requa. 


Edited  by^  G:  O.  SHIELDS  ("Coquina"), 

AUTHOR  OF  "CRUISINGS  IN  THE  CASCADES,"    "RUSTLINGS  IN  THE  ROCKIES,"    "HUNTING  IN  THE 
ORKAT  WEST,"    "camping  AND  CAMP  OUTFITS,"    "THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIG  HOLE,"   ETC. 


chicago  and  new  york: 
Rand,  McNally  &.  Company,  Publishers. 

1890. 


CJOPTHIGHT,    1890,   BY  Q.    O.    SHIEIiDt. 

All  rights  reserved. 

Big  Gaint. 


>- 


I  desire  to  express  thus  publicly  my  gratitude  to.  my 
collaborators  for  the  prompt  and  generous  manner  in  which 
they  have  responded  to  my  requests  for  contributions  to 
this  work.  For  any  one  man  to  produce  a  book  of  the 
scope  and  size  of  this,  would  require  the  work  of  many  years, 
and  then  it  could  not  be  so  complete  as  this.  It  is  only 
by  the  hearty  and  sympathetic  cooperation  of  such  ardent 
sportsmen,  trained  naturalists,  and  big-hearted  men  as  those 
composing  my  staff,  that  so  comprehensive  and  valuable 
a  work  as  this  is  possible.  They  have  done  the  world  a 
service  o^  great  and  lasting  value,  and  one  for  which  all 
lovers  of  nature  should  feel  as  grateful  to  them  as  does 

The  Editor. 

Chicago,  May,  1890. 


(5) 


fi— Sdbi?*- 


CONTENTS 


PAOC 

rNTRODUCnOK The  Honorable  John  Dean  Caton,  11 

Author  of  "The  Antelope  and  Deer  of  America,"  "A  Summer 
in  Norway,"  etc. 

MOOSE-HUNTING  IN  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 

Newton  Hibbs  ("  Roxey  Newton  ").  IT 

ELK-HUNTING  IX  THE  OLYMPIC  MOUNTAINS.    .    W.  A.  Perry  C"Si7Ia/icun»").  45 

THE  WAPITI  (Poem) "  Wah-bah-mi-mi.  "  71 

THE  CARIBOU WiLLiAif  PiTTMAN  Lett  (".-l/pongum").  73 

THE  WOODLAND  CARIBOU Dr.  R.  B.  Cantrell.  107 

THE  MULE  DEER Rev.  Joshia  Cooke  ("Boojje").  137 

THE  MULE  DEER  OF  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA.                                T.  S.  Van  Dyke,  173 

Author  of  "The  Still  Hunter."  etc. 

THE  COLUMBIA  BLACK-TAILED  DEER.        ....       Thomas  G.  Farrkll.  115 

THE  VIRGINIA  DEER Walter  M.  Wolfe  ("  .SVios/ione").  185 

A  DEER-HUNT  (Poem) 'Wah-bah-mi-mi."  201 

HUNTIN(J  THE  GRIZZLY  BEAR W.  S.  Raispford.  D.  D.  303 

THE  POLAR  BEAR Serot.  Kranci.s  Long.  229 

of  the  Greely  Arctic  Expetlition.  ami  George  S.  McTavish,  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

A  POLAR  BEAR  HUNT.                 24t 

THE  BLACK  BEAR Col.  George  D.  Alexander.  347 

THE  BL'FFALO Orix  Belknap  ("  f'/if/f  Fii//er  ").  '.rr9 

THE  MUSK-OX .         .     H.  Biederbick,  ;«8 

of  the  Gret»ly  Arctic  Exf>e<lition. 

STILL  HUNTIN(i  THE  ANTELOPE.                         Arthur  W.  nr  Bray  (' fraMc/io  ").  .313 

COURSLN(J  THK  ANTELOPE  WITH  GREYHOUNDS.      .                 .      M.  E.  Allison.  .S33 

THE  DEATH  OF  VENUS  (Poem ) William  P.  Lett.  .341 

THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  (a )AT John  Fannin.  343 

THE  ROCKY  MOLNTAIN  SHEEP G.  O.  Shields  ("Cog«i»i«  ").  .363 

(6) 


CONTENTS.  7 

PAGE. 

THE  PECCARY A.  G.  Reqca.  391 

THE  COUGAR. W.  A.  Perry.  40.5 

THE  LYNX J.  C.  Nattrass.  429 

THE  WOLF William  P.  Lett.  45.3 

COURSING  THE  GRAY  WOLF,      f D.  S.  Cage.  475 

THE  WOLVERINE C.  A.  Cooper  C  Sibyllene'').  479 

THE  WILDCAT Daniel  Arrowsmith  ("  Sangtjmon  ").  503 

COON-HUXTIXG  IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS.                        .       Daniel  Arrowsmith.  .509 

FOX-HUNTING  IN  VIRGINIA Dr.  M.  G.  Ellzey,  523 

Associate  Editor  The  National  Economist. 

ALUGATOR-SHOOTING  IN  FLORIDA Cyrus  W.  Butler.  549 

THE  ETHICS  OF  FIELD  SPORTS.        .        .        .        .         Judge  John  Dean  Caton,  567 
aud  William  B.  Leftingwell,  Author  of  "Wild  Fowl  Shoot- 
ing,"' "Shooting  on  Upland,  Marsh,  and  Stream,"  etc. 


FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

FRONTISPIECE, 2 

A  BULL  MOOSE 21 

BROWSING Opposite  38 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BULLS "  66 

BIO  CAKIBOU  HORNS.                      "  »2 

CURIOSITY  SATISFIED "  126 

THE  RESULT, "  146 

A  STANCH  POINT,                                   "  1T6 

CHRISTMAS  EVE  AT  A  CATTLE  RANCH, "  108 

A  RUDE   AWAKENING.                                     "  226 

HARD  PRESSED.                                   "  274 

DEUBERATION.      ...                                  "  280 

A  NOVEL  CHASE '  298 

HE^VD  OF  MUSK-OX.      .        .        .         .                 '•  306 

A  ROUND-UP  ON  THE  MISS';)UIU '■  326 

THE  FINISH.    .                                                   ....                 .        .              "  aiO 

WANTED-A  FRIENDLY   H.VND "  352 

C.VMPWARD  BOUND.                               "  &^ 

AT  BAY,        ...                 "  W-i 

ONLY  W.UTING.     .                 "  4j« 

SURPRISED,                           "  408 

POACHING, "  440 

"ENF.\NT  PERDU." "  408 

IN  AT  THE  DEATH "  508 

TALLY-HO :                             "  540 

FORW.VRD  on:                 "  M4 

A  PUGNACIOUS  PASSENGER, "  562 

(8) 


OTHER  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

ELK  CALF, '. G5 

WOODLAND  CARIBOU 74 

BAKREN-GROUND  CARIBOU, 97 

RESTING, 159 

A  PORTRAIT,             152 

ON  GUARD, 187 

SHIPPED, 233 

GOATS-FEMALE  AND  YOUNG, 35:i 

MOTHER  AND  SON, 366 

THE  SULTAN  OF  CHOPACA 371 

COUGAR  AND  YOUNG, 406 

WOLVERINE 482 

RACCOON, 510 

BLOWN  OUT, 519 


(9) 


INTRODUCTION. 


By  John  Dean  Caton, 
Autlior  of  "T7ie  Antelope  and  Deer  of  America;  "  "A  Summer  in  Noncay,"  etc. 


AM  requested  to  write  an  introduction  to  Mr.  Shields' 
book,  "The  Big  Game  of  North  America,"  and  it 
affords  me  great  pleasure  to  comply  with  this  request. 
^  Yet,  the  first  question  I  asked  myself  when  I  read  tlie 
editor's  letter  was,  "  Why  introduce  such  men  as  these  to 
American  readers? " 

What  need  is  there  to  commend,  to  reading  sportsmen  or 
to  naturalists,  a  book  written  by  such  able,  conscientious, 
indefatigable  workers  in  the  interests  of  natural  history, 
field  sports,  game  protection,  and  sportsmen' s  literature  as 
the  men  whose  names  appear  as  contributors  to  this  work? 
Why  should  I  write  in  behalf  of  the  noble,  the  pathetic, 
the  conscientious  "Shoshone;"  the  careful,  painstaking 
"  Roxey  Newton;"  the  eloquent,  the  enthusiastic,  the 
poetic  "Algonquin;"  the  gallant  champion  of  the  hounds. 
Doctor  Ellzey;  the  venerable  lover  of  Nature,  Colonel 
Alexander;  the  genial,  big-hearted  "Uncle  Fuller;"  the 
nature-loving  "  Sibyllene;"  tlje  careful  naturalist,  But- 
ler, or  the  ever  fresh  and  interesting  old  hunter,  "Sanga- 
mon?" Their  numerous  and  fascinating  contributions  to 
the  sportsmen's  press  have  made  their  names  household 
words  throughout  the  land. 

Why  should  I  introduce  the  sturdy,  cautious  Van 
Dyke;  the  eloquent,  the  beloved  "Boone;"  the  flowery 
"  Sillalicum;"  the  earnest,  enthusiastic  "Gaucho,"  or  the 
arduous  mountaineer,  "Coquina?"  I  need  not;  I  will  not 
presume  to  do  so.  They  are  known  throughout  the  Eng- 
lish-speaking world;  and  the  man  who  has  not  yet  read 
"The   Still  Hunter,"    "Cruisings  in  the  Cascades,"    and 

(11) 


12  KIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

"  Rustlings  in  tlie  Rockies,"  has  thus  far  missed  tlie  most 
intense  hiii)i)iness  that  could  possibly  be  crowded  into  a 
few  hours  by  his  own  fireside. 

All  these  and  many  other  well-known  names  appear  as 
contributore  to  the  present  volume— that  of  the  last-named 
writer  as  the  editor  thei-eof.  Each  writes  of  a  species  of 
game  that  he  has  studied  for  years,  not  alone  in  dust-cov- 
ered books,  but  in  that  grander  school,  the  realm  of  Nature. 
These  men  have  spent  days,  weeks — aye,  in  some  cases, 
many  years— in  the  wilderness,  sleeping  on  the  trails  of  the 
animals  they  now  write  of — watching  their  movements  by 
day,  listening  to  their  calls  by  night,  and,  after  the  fatal 
bullet  has  done  its  work,  dissecting  and  studying  the 
structure  of  the  bodies  of  their  victims  on  their  native  heath. 
'  But  this  book  is  not  designed  to  interest  the  sportsman 
alone.  While  it  does  not  assume  to  be  a  strictly  scientific 
work,  yet  the  professional  naturalist  will  find  much  in  it, 
not  only  to  interest,  but  to  instruct,  him.  The  natural  his- 
tory of  an  animal  does  not  consist  alone  of  his  bones.  As 
showing  a  record  of  the  past,  these  contain  the  only 
reliable  data  to  tell  us  of  the  animals  that  lived  long  ago, 
and  to  identify  genera  and  classes  of  existing  fauna;  but, 
at  i)resent,  other  parts  of  the  animal  deserve  our  attention 
as  well.  lie  consists  of  fiesli  and  blood,  as  well  as  of  bones, 
and  can  not  be  thoroughly  understood  without  a  careful 
study  (►f  all  these  constituent  i)arts. 

From  a  scientific  point  of  view,  the  osteology  of  an 
animal  is  undoubtedly  of  jtrime  importance;  but  in  a  prac- 
tical, utilitarian  consideration,  the  broader  field  of  general 
mori)hology,  and  especially  of  myology,  is  of  equal  and  even 
greater  imi)ortance,  while  thei)sychology  which  is  developed 
in  various  animals,  in  some  res})ects,  interests  us  most  of 
all.  Nature  has  endo\yed  all  animals  with  a  certain  meas- 
ure of  mental  cajiacities,  and  these  C(mstitute  a  part  of 
their  beings.  So  they  alike  come  within  the  domain  of 
natural  history. 

None  of  these  are  beneath  the  study  of  the  scientists. 
While   the  component  i)arts  of  the  dead   animal  may  be 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

studied  with  the  aid  of  the  dissecting  knife,  other  facilities 
are  required  for  the  proper  study  of  the  mental  endowments 
of  the  animal,  and  for  this,  observations  of  the  animal  in 
life  are  indispensable.  Here,  then,  especially  may  the  natu- 
ralist find  many  valuable  lessons  in  the  several  papers  col- 
lected and  given  to  the  world  in  this  volume.  The  hunter 
alone  has  complete  opportunity  to  study  the  habits,  char- 
acteristics, and  capabilities  of  the  animals  which  he  pur- 
sues. He  observes  and  studies  carefully  the  sagacity  and 
cunning  of  the  Fox,  the  Wolf,  and  many  other  animals,  in 
securing  a  supi)ly  of  food  or  in  avoiding  danger,  showing 
cd;pabilities  with  which  they  are  endowed  for  their  well- 
being.  In  the  American  Antelope,  for  instance,  he  sees  a 
curiosity  manifested  which  often  leads  it  to  destruction. 

The  sportsman,  I  say,  studies  and  observes  all  these, 
characteristics,  not  alone  because  they  interest  him  and  fur- 
nish him  food  for  thought  while  on  the  hunt  and  for  dis- 
cussion by  the  camp-fire,  but  because  he  is  aware  that  he 
must  know  all  the  resources  of  the  game  in  order  to  hunt 
it  successfully. 

I  repeat,  therefore,  that  he  who  would  scientifically 
study  natural  history,  will  find  much  in  the  papers,  written 
by  these  skillful,  practical  liunters,  and  given  to  the  world 
in  this  volume,  to  aid  him  to  a  full  understanding  of  this 
vast  subject,  for  which  he  might  look  in  vain  elsewhere. 

And,  then,  what  an  array  of  subjects  is  here  presented  for 
study!  Everj^  species  of  Big  Game  inhabiting  this  conti- 
nent is  here  served  up;  and  several  species  that  do  not  strictly 
come  within  that  classification  are  treated,  beca,use  they 
occasionally  afford  sport  or  incident  to  the  hunter  when  in 
search  of  other  animals.  Among  the  most  important  papers 
are  those  on  the  Buffalo — now,  alas!  practically  extinct— in 
its  wild  state;  those  on  the  Polar  Bear  and  the  Musk-ox, 
furnished  by  survivors  of  the  memorable  Greely  Arctic 
Expedition,  who  hunted  and  subsisted  largely  on  these 
and  other  wild  animals  while  battling  with  icebergs, 
starvation,  and  death  in  the  frozen  North.  The  Rocky 
Mountain  Goat,  that  mysterious  and  little-known  habitant 


14  BIO   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

of  tlie  snowy  cliffs,  is  written  of  by  a  man  who  has  lived 
half  a  life-time  beneath  the  shadows  of  its  Alpine  home,  and 
who  has  probably  killed  more  goats  than  any  other  man, 
living  or  dead. 

Then  there  is  a  most  interesting  and  valuable  chapter  on 
the  Peccary,  or  Mexican  Wild  Hog — an  animal  that  few 
Northern  sportsmen  have  ever  seen,  and  yet  one  that 
swarms  in  certain  portions  of  Arizona,  Texas,  and  our  sis- 
ter Republic.  Its  habits,  habitat,  and  range  are  accurately 
described,  and  thrilling  accounts  are  given  of  several  hunt- 
ing expeditions  after  this  animal,  in  which  large  numbers 
of  them  were  killed. 

We  all  have  read  many  articles  descriptive  of  Moose- 
hunting  in  Maine  and  Canada,  but  here  is  a  novelty.  Mr. 
Hibbs  has  given  us  a  paper  on  Moose-hunting  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  embellished  with  valuable  notes  as  to  the  habits 
of  the  great  ruminant,  under  its  rugged  environment,  and 
with  such  thrilling  episodes  and  adventures  in  hunting  it 
as  could  only  have  been  experienced  in  that  strange  and 
picturesque  land. 

"Sillalicum"  has  given  us  a  study  of  the  Cougar,  and 
Nattrass  one  of  the  Lynx,  never  before  equaled  by  an*y 
writers,  and  which  could  not  have  been  produced  by  other 
than  the  enthusiastic  hunters  and  naturalists  that  they  are. 

Mr.  Lett's  i)aper  on  the  Caribou  throws  much  "new  light 
on  the  habits  and  character  of  that  strange  denizen  of  the 
great  northern  wilderness.  He  has  lived  half  a  life-time 
in  its  woodland  home,  and  has  had  exceptional  opportuni- 
ties for  studying  it  in  its  wjjd  state. 

Mr.  Cooper  contributes  the  most  complete  and  compre- 
hensive monograph  of  the  Wolverine  that  has  ever  been 
written.  He  has  lived  in  the  various  portions  of  the 
country  which  it  inliabits,  for  twenty-live  years,  and,  in 
addition  to  his  own  experience  with  it,  gives  many  inci- 
dents and  anecdotes  collected  from  other  huhtei"s  and  trap- 
pers. His  paper  comprises  over  seven  thousand  words,  and 
will  prove  of  inestimable  value  to  all  who  wish  to  learn  the 
true  life  history  of  this,  heretofore,  little  kjiown  animal. 


INTRODUCTION. 


15 


There  are  many  other  names  and  subjects  that  I  should 
like  to  speak  of  in  detail,  but  time  and  space  forbid. 

The  editor  of  this  work  has  not  overlooked  the  fact 
that  this  is  preeminently  a  practical  age — an  age  of  object- 
teaching.  He  has,  therefore,  illustrated  his  book  in  a  way 
that  he  and  his  contributors  may  justly  feel  proud  of. 

Altogether,  there  is  given  here  such  a  study  of  the 
natural  history  of  our  game  quadrupeds,  and  of  the  thrill- 
ing incidents  encountered  in  hunting  them,  as  has  never 
before  been  offered  to  the  reading  world.  Each  chapter  in 
this  book  is  in  itself  a  complete  work,  and  the  book,  as  a 
whole,  is  a  most  valuable  library. 

Any  one  of  the  names  on  Mr.  Shields'  list  of  contribu- 
tors should  insure  the  sale  of  an  entire  edition  of  his  book, 
and  when  we  multiply  this  possibility  by  twenty-six,  the 
whole  number  of  names  on  his  title-page,  the  result 
obtained  indicates  the  magnitude  of  the  success  that  should, 
and  that  we  hope  will,  crown  his  labors  and  those  of  his 
collaborateurs. 


BIG  GAME  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


MOOSE-IIUNTING  IN  THE  EOCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


By  Ne"wton  Hibbs  ("  Hoxey  Newton"). 


Where  echoes  sleep  ia  deepest  forest  shade, 
Where  legend  says  the  chieftain  slew  his  bride, 
And  airy  phantoms  float  from  side  to  side. 
The  monarch  of  the  mountain  ranges  made 
His  home.     In  coat  of  sombre  hue  arrayed. 
With  eyes  of  liquid,  beauteous  brown,  and  wide, 
He  stood  supreme,  a  king  of  power  and  pride. 
From  beaten  paths  a  sturdy  hunter  strayed 
Through  silent,  shadow-haunted,  ancient  wood; 
And  near  the  lair  he  came.     An  antlered  head 
Was  raised,  the  air  was  sniffed,  and  then  the  sound 
Of  heavy  hoofs  was  heard.     He  stamped — he  stood 
In  stupid  awe.     A  crash!    The  monster,  dead, 
Tlie  hunter's  prize,  lay  weltering  on  the  ground. 

'N  his  far  western  habitat,  the  Moose  usually  lives  higher 
up  the  mountain-sides  than  either  the  Elk  or  the  Deer, 
though  on  some  parts  of  the  western  slope  of  the  Rockies 
^  he  is  migratory,  and  changes  his  abode  as  the  seasons 
change.  In  summer,  he  is  found  only  in  the  little  parks  at 
the  sources  of  creeks,  as  near  the  summits  of  the  snow-clad 
ranges  as  he  can  find  the  peculiar  foliage  plants  suited  to 
his  fastidious  taste.  He  will  seek  the  food  he  likes  best,  even 
at  the  risk  of  his  life.  Shy  and  wary  as  he  is,  he  has  been 
known  to  defy  men  and  dogs  in  order  to  spend  an  hour  on 
the  borders  of  a  swamp  where  grew  water-lilies  and  other 
herbs  and  plants  on  which  he  was  wont  to  feed. 

On  one  occasion,  a  party  of  hay-makers  were  camped 
on  a  prairie,  near  a  lake,  high  up  in  the  Bitter  Root  Mount- 
ains, fourteen  miles  from  the  timber.  A  lone  bull  Moose 
was  seen  to  ]oass  near  the  workmen,  and  between  the 
wagons  and  the  kitchen  tent.  His  trail  was  within  thirty 
yards  of  the  fire  that  blazed  up  and  sent  its  curling  smoke 

2  (17) 


18  BUi   OAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

heavenward,  yet  he  passed  slowly  along,  regardless  of 
scents  or  noises.  The  mowers  were  running  with  their 
clatter,  and  some  of  them  were  near  enough  to  observe  his 
movements  plainly. 

At  first,  the  ungainly  beast  was  believed  to  be  some 
prospector's  i)Oor  mule  seeking  water,  and  then  returning, 
alone,  to  a  probable  owner,  who  was  believed  to  be  digging 
in  the  gulches  above.  Day  after  day  the  black  object  came 
down  the  mountain  with  stately  tread,  and  with  clock-like 
regularity.  After  a  week,  one  of  the  boys  chanced  to  be 
in  camp  while  his  companions  toiled  in  the  hay,  and  was 
aroused  from  his  imagined  illness  by  the  approach  of  the 
Moose  to  the  very  camp.  There  were  guns  enough  in  ihe 
tent  to  resist  a  formidable  Indian  attack,  if  properly 
handled,  but  the  surprised  hay-pitcher  rushed  out  with  a 
pitchfork  to  battle  with  the  Moose.  The  broad-antlered 
monarcli,  however,  had  no  desire  to  cultivate  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  sick  man,  and,  with  tlie  great  speed  of  his 
swinging  trot,  passed  on,  never  swerving  from  the  well- 
worn  trail  that  he  had  traveled,  perhai)S,  for  years. 

On  returning  to  camp,  I  was  slow  to  believe  the  invalid's 
story;  but  he  insisted,  and  reiterated,  and  lAvas  at  last  con- 
vinced. The  need  of  meat  and  the  love  of  sport  combined 
wer«^  sufficient  to  send  me  even  in  pursuit  of  a  forlorn  hope; 
so,  exchanging  the  i)ltclrfork  for  the  ritle,  I  started  toward 
the  supposed  feeding-ground  of  the  great  deer. 

It  was  in  September,  1883.  The  season  was  dry,  and  in 
that  country  there  were  no  swamps,  even  in  the  timber,  on 
or  near  the  summit  of  the  range,  as  is  usual  at  the  head  of 
water-courses;  so  I  thought  it  not  improbable  that  a  Moose 
might  seek  tlie  lake  for  a  feeding-ground.  I  approached  it 
cautiously,  and  began  to  skirt  the  bank,  with  eyes  and  ears 
strained  for  the  faintest  evidences  of  game.  After  an  hour 
of  hard  work,  wading  and  creeping  through  Avillows,  around 
and  about  the  arms  and  sloughs  which  crept  out  here  and 
there  from  the  main  ])ody  of  the  lake,  I  saw  a  dark  object 
above  the  Hags,  or  cat-tails,  about  four  hundred  yards  away. 
I  knew  at  once  it  was  the  game  I  was  in  search  of;  but  it 


MOOSE-HUNTING   IN  THE  ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  19 

was  too  far  away  for  a  sure  shot,  and  how  to  get  nearer— a 
little  nearer,  at  least — was  the  puzzle  I  must  solve. 

I  had  learned  well  the  lesson  of  the  cunning  of  the  ani- 
mal I  must  outwit.  Even  if  he  had  been  bold  on  the  trail, 
in  his  run  of  fourteen  miles  for  a  feed  upon  his  favorite 
lily-pads,  he  would  now  start  at  the  snap  of  a  twig,  or  the 
first  breath  of  air  that  came  to  him  from  me,  or  even  from 
the  tracks  I  had  left  behind,  and  would  soon  put  miles  of 
prairie  between  himself  and  me.  There  was  a  stretch  of  open 
deep  water  betAveen  my  cover  and  the  game.  To  pass  that 
would  be  impossible,  and  to  skirt  the  lake,  through  the  wil- 
lows, offered  the  danger  of  a  noisy  course.  I  knew  his 
quick  ear  would  never  fail  to  catch  the  least  sound,  so  I 
went  back  to  the  open,  beyond  the  fringe  of  brush,  and 
traveled  a  mile  through  them.  Then  I  was  comi)elled  to 
guess,  without  guides,  the  location  of  the  cluster  of  flags, 
in  which  I  had  last  seen  the  Moose.  I  came  up  to  the  point, 
creeping  like  the  Panther  that  seeks  a  vantage-ground  from 
which  to  spring  upon  the  Fawn,  to  the  edge  of  the  cat-tails. 
They  were  dense,  and  higher  than  my  head. 

I  proceeded,  I  thought,  as  noiselessly  as  the  snow  falls, 
and  with  more  caution  than  I  ever  possessed  before  or 
since.  I  parted  the  yielding  cover,  and  the  open  lake  was 
revealed  to  me.  I  knew  that  was  the  spot,  right  before 
me,  where  the  great  brute  was  feeding  when  I  last  saw 
him.  Yes;  the  water  was  still  muddy  and  disturbed  where 
he  had  been  wading;  but  the  Moose  was  gone!  He  hud 
stolen  away  silently,  but  swiftly  and  surely.  Had  there 
been  in  that  spot  any  other  living  animal,  my  skill  and 
determined  effort  would  have  surjDrised  it;  but  the  Moose 
had  fairly  outwitted  me. 

Then,  the  next  thought  was  that  the  great  fleet  creature 
would  hie  himself  to  yonder  dense  Avood,  whence  he  came 
two  hours  before.  To  do  so,  he  must  run  over  an  open 
prairie  fourteen  miles  wide,  and  could  not  avoid  being 
seen,  at  least.  I  looked  in  vain,  however,  and  satisfied 
myself  that  he  had  not  yet  left  the  willows  and  weeds  that 
bordered  the  lake. 


20  BIrt   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

I  suniiiioned  the  boys  from  the  pniiiie-grass  meadow, 
and  they  tried  to  drive  him  out  for  me;  but  all  the  noise  and 
diligent  search  they  and  I  made  failed  to  rouse  the  Moose 
from  his  hastily  chosen  lair  in  or  about  tVie  lake.  He  knew 
the  situation,  and  was  master  of  it;  he  simply  defied  us. 
The  noisy  hay-pitchers  returned  to  work,  and  I,  jeered  and 
ridiculed  by  them,  walked  sadly  back  to  the  tent,  too  much 
abashed  to  be  al)le  to  convince  them  that  I  had  really  seen 
a  Moose;  yet  the  next  day  the  same  dark  object  passed 
the  trail  that  threads  the  prairie  from  the  mountain  to  the 
lake. 

I  hastened  to  the  scene  of  my  former  disappointment, 
and  walked  upright  to  within  forty  yards  of  the  Moose,  as 
he  stood  crunching  the  root  of  a  lily.  I  fired,  and  the 
plunging  of  that  great  beast  in  three  feet  of  water  was 
like  the  explosion  of  a  submarine  torpedo.  He  stopped 
after  a  few  jumps,  and  stood  broadside  again.  I  fired  again, 
when  he  pitched  heavil}'  forward,  dead— shot  through  the 
heart— and  fioated  out  from  shore,  propelled  by  his  insen- 
sible struggles. 

This  Moose  was  about  four  years  old.  He  was  black  and 
glossy  on  his  sides,  while  his  back  was  yet  brown  with 
coarse  tatters  of  his  last  winter  s  coat.  His  horns  were  clean, 
white,  and  new  -ready  for  the  warfare  of  the  ax)i3roaching 
mating-season.  He  was  fat,  and  would  have  weighed, 
dressed,  al)out  seven  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 

My  companions  now  apologized  for  their  skepticism  of 
tliH  day  before,  and  congratulated  me  on  my  skill  and  good 
fortune.  Some  of  them  even  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  they 
knew  all  the  time  the  Moose  was  in  there,  for  1  never  made 
a  mistake  in  matters  i)ertaining  to  game,  but  that  they 
simply  wanted  to  have  some  fun  with  me. 

Judge  Caton,  in  iiis  grand  work,  ''The  Antelope  and 
Deer  of  America," ■  accurately  describes  this  great  mammal 
in  tliese  woi'ds: 

LaiLTost  i)f  ,ill  the  Deer  family,  and  most  un£rainly  in  form.  Head  long 
aii<l  narrow;  tvfs  small  ami  sunken;  nose  long  and  Hexible,  and  covered  with 
hairs,  except  a  .»i)ot  hiiwcin  ila-  nostrils;  ears  verv  lonir  and  coarse;  antlers 


(21) 


22  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

large  and  spreading,  broadly  palinated  with  numerous  sharp  points;  neck 
sliort  and  stout,  and  nearly  liorlzontal,  higher  at  the  withers  than  at  the  hips. 
Body  short  and  round.  Legs  long  and  stout,  fore  legs  the  longest.  Accessory 
hoofs  large  and  loost  ly  attached.  No  metatarsal  gland.  Tarsal  gland  inside 
the  hcK-k  present,  hut  small,  and  covered  with  black  reversed  liair.  Hair  long, 
coarse,  and  rather  l)rittle;  longest  about  the  neck;  color  variant  from  black  to 
brown  and  yellowish  gray.  Antlers  wanting  on  the  female,  which  is  smaller 
than  the  male,  and  lighter  colored  in  winter. 

The  venison  of  the  Moose  is  good,  winter  or  summer.  It 
is  coarse-grained — even  more  so  than  that  of  the  Elk — but 
possesses  a  flavor  peculiarly  its  own.  I  have  heard  it  pro- 
nounced musky  in  flavor,  but  the  friends  of  the  animal — 
the  men  who  love  to  hunt  it  in  its  forest  home — do  not 
detect  the  musk.  When,  in  midwinter,  the  Deer  are  too 
poor  to  eat,  the  mountaineer  goes  in  search  of  Moose,  which, 
owing  to  their  great  size  and  strength,  can  procure  their  food 
desi)ite  the  deep  snows  and  blizzards.  He  knows  that  the 
fle.sh  of  the  great  ruminant  is  dark  and  uninviting  to  the 
eye,  but  sweet  and  juicy  to  the  palate. 

The  hump  of  the  Buffalo  is  a  delicacy  widely  celebrated 
among  s])ortsmen.  The  Moose  has  a  hump  on  his  nose,  and 
for  a  delicious  morsel  it  excels  any  other  meat  dish  I  have 
ever  had  the  pleasure  of  sampling.  The  Beaver's  tail  has 
many  admirers,  and  the  nose  of  the  Moose  resembles  it  in 
some  ways,  but  is  far  Ix^ter.  I  never  knew  any  other  ver- 
dict from  those  who  had  enjoyed  a  dinner  with  that  best  of 
game  dishes  as  a  meat  coui'se. 

The  Moose,  the  killing  of  which  is  described  above,  was 
devoted  to  tln^  delectation  of  the  deserving  laborers  in  the 
liay-iield,  and  was,  witliout  dissent,  voted  the  best  meat 
in  the  world.  There  is,  however,  I  Avill  admit,  something 
in  the  air  tiiat  surrounds  a  camp,  far  away  from  civilized 
homes,  tliat  fits  the  i)alate  to  the  enjoyment  of  wild  meat. 
This  iinaccoiiiitable  l)eciiliarity  may  be  reason  for  the  public 
to  h)ok  upon  the  indorsements  of  si)ortsmen  with  a  degree 
of  allowance. 

The  head  of  the  Moo.se  was  cooked  in  the  best  style  of 
the  hunter's  art.  It  was  coated  with  clay  all  over,  by  rub- 
lung  the  sticky,  piitty-like  substance  into  the  coarse,  long 


MOOSE-HUNTING  IN  THE  ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  23 

hair,  till  it  was  inclosed,  completely,  in  a  case  of  mud  two 
inches  thick.  I  might  remark  that  it  was  not  particularly- 
well  dressed,  after  the  manner  of  modern  civilized  butchers, 
but  was  coated  and  cooked  with  tongue  intact.  The  pro- 
cess of  removing  the  horns  was  an  excuse  for  saving  the 
brains  as  a  separate  dish  for  the  complaining  member  of  the 
company.  You  have  all  heard  of  the  great  dish  of  brains 
provided  from  the  Moose.  The  writer  who  repeats  that 
well-worn  story  never  knew  much,  i)ersonally,  about  the 
Moose.  He  has  either  been  deceived  by  the  cook,  and 
believed  the  "hump"  was  the  brain,  or  he  has  written 
about  that  of  which  he  saw  nothing.  The  Moose  has  no 
more  brains  (in  quantity)  than  the  beef  steer,  but  with  that 
sweet  meat  from  the  hump  a  quantity  could  be  prej)ared 
that  would  make  the  uninitiated  think  the  head,  horns,  and 
all  were  filled  with  brains. 

But  to  return.  Our  Moose-head  was  coated  with  clay. 
In  the  meantime,  a  hole  was  shoveled  out,  large  as  a  pork- 
barrel,  and  was  filled  up  with  dry  wood,  which  was  made 
to  burn  like  a  furnace  till  the  sides  of  the  oven  were  almost 
white  with  heat.  The  head  was  dropped  into  the  hole  and 
covered  with  live  coals  of  fire.  Over  all  was  thrown  the 
loose  dirt  dug  from  the  hole,  and  the  Moose-head  was  left 
to  roast  till  the  next  morning.  We  all  retired,  feeling  like 
a  child  on  Christmas  eve  who  longs  for  the  coming  of 
Christmas  morning. 

When  that  head  was  lifted  to  the  temporary  table,  after 
ten  hours  of  roasting,  it  was  steaming  hot,  and  the  aroma 
made  us  ravenous  as  wolves.  The  clay  was  baked  like  a 
brick,  and  when  cracked  and  torn  ofl:'  it  removed  the  skin, 
and  left  the  clean,  white,  sweet  meat  exposed.  The  flavor 
of  the  juicy  hump  of  the  Moose  1  could  not  describe,  but  it 
had  enriched  every  part  of  our  roast  with  its  deliciousness, 
and  few  such  breakfasts  have  been  eaten  by  hay-makers  as 
we  ate  that  morning. 

It  is  not  the  custom  of  the  resident  hunters,  in  the 
Rocky  Mountain  region,  to  preserve  the  skins  of  Moose 
they  kill,  for  these  are  of  but  little  value.     They  are  not 


24  HKJ   (JAME   OF   NOKTU    AMERICA. 

materially  (lilTeieiit  from  those  of  the  Elk — coarse  and 
porous  when  dressed  for  leather.  They  are  used  by  the 
Indians,  however,  for  saddle-bai^s  ;ind  for  tents.  They  are 
heavy,  and  consequently  regarded  as  worthless  when  the 
hunter  has  a  long,  rough  journey  before  him.  The  antlers 
are  lieavy  also,  and  even  more  cumbersome;  but  the  average 
hunter  takes  pride  in  the  careful  preservation  of  them. 

The  largest  pair  of  antlers  I  ever  saw  was  taken  from 
the  head  of  a  Moose  that  was  killed  in  the  Teton  Basin, 
near  the  head  of  Snake  River.  When  standing  on  the 
points,  they  encircled  the  tent  door,  and  a  man  could  walk 
under  the  arch  by  slightly  stooping.  They  measured,  from 
tip  to  tip,  eight  and  one-half  feet.  The  monarch  which 
carried  them  was  a  grand  specimen  of  the  ruminant  divis- 
ion of  the  animal  kingdom.  His  weight  was  never  known, 
but,  as  he  lay  on  his  brisket,  his  withers  were  higher  than 
any  horse  in  tiie  outfit.  An  ordinary  man  could  barely 
"chin''  the  Moose  as  he  lay  on  the  ground,  as  the  horse- 
man would  express  that  simplest  way  of  taking  a  measure- 
ment. He  was  '"  fifteen  hands  "  high  without  his  legs  under 
him. 

In  the  fall  of  1884,  in  company  with  a  hunting  party  of 
three  gentlemen  from  an  Eastern  city,  I  shot  and  wounded 
a  two-year-old  cow  Moose,  in  a  small  lake  in  the  Coour 
d'Alene  Mountains.  The  ball  passed  through  one  shoul- 
der, and,  of  course,  disabled  her;  but  any  man  would  have 
been  foolhardy  to  have  approached  her. 

One  of  my  com})anions  had  a  well-trained  dog,  which 
was  sent  into  the  nater  to  di-ive  the  Moose  out  of  a  clump 
of  willows  in  which  she  concealed  herself  after  being 
wounded.  The  dog  swam  to  the  little  island,  only  to  be 
driven  back  into  the  water.  The  enraged  Moose  followed, 
with  lunges  thatNvere  teiTilic.  The  dog  was  a  strong  swim- 
mer, but  lie  could  no  more  escape  the  mad  Moose  than  if 
he  h;i(l  been  chained.  He  was  borne  down,  and  would  have 
been  killed  only  for  the  depth  of  the  water.  As  it  was,  he 
was  well -nigh  drowned,  when  a  quick  shot  killed  the  cow, 
and  thus  made  it  possible  for  him  to  swim  ashore. 


MOOSP>HUNTING   IN   THE  ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  25 

The  coat  of  this  Moose  was  almost  black.  Along  the 
back,  however,  was  a  brown  tinge,  where  the  coat  had  begun 
to  fade  from  exposure  to  the  weather.  The  Moose,  in  his 
best  form,  is  black;  but  I  have  never  found  one  over  two 
years  old  which  did  not  carry  some  faded  tufts  of  his 
old  coat  till  his  new  coat  became  rusty  from  wear. 

A  hunter,  whom  I  timidly  disjiute,  not  because  I  do  not 
know  him  to  be  wrong,  but  because  his  records  of  hunting- 
adventures  are  widely  read,  tells  of  killing  Moose  with  a 
hand-ax,  after  running  them  down  in  the  deep  snow. 
This  may  have  been  done  in  Maine  or  Canada,  but  if  so, 
it  proves  to  my  mind  that  the  Moose  there  do  not  possess 
the  same  wild,  savage,  pugnacious  natures  as  those  found 
in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  for  surely  no  sane  man  would 
dare  to  attack  one  of  our  vicious  mountain  Moose,  single- 
handed,  with  any  weapon  short  of  a  rej^eating-rifle,  and 
before  doing  that  he  should  be  sure  that  he  can  control  his 
nerves  perfectly  in  the  face  of  danger.  In  one  instance, 
some  men  attacked  one  of  our  wild  bulls  without  a  rille, 
but  it  cost  two  of  them  their  lives. 

A  few  years  ago,  a  party  of  river-men  wounded  a  large 
Moose  near  the  bank  of  Clear  Water  River,  in  Idaho,  and  it 
took  to  the  water.  The  eager,  but  unskilled,  hunters  rushed 
upon  the  wounded  animal  with  a  bateau.  It  was  a  large  boat, 
and  was  manned  by  six  strong  and  fearless  men.  They  were 
either  without  a  gun  in  the  boat,  or  scorned  to  use  one, 
but  determined  to  kill  the  Moose  with  axes,  cant-hooks, 
and  other  woodsman's  implements.  They  bore  down  by 
the  side  of  the  swimming  Moose,  which  was  kept  in  the  cur- 
rent by  walls  of  rocks,  and  dealt  him  a  blow.  This  inter- 
ference made  him  more  desperate,  and  he  turned  to  fight. 
The  men  were  brave,  in  a  bateau  that  would  stem  the  rapids 
of  Clear  Water  River  with  a  cargo  of  three  tons  aboard;  so 
they  rushed  to  the  battle  with  shouts  of  defiance.  The 
Moose  struck  the  boat  with  his  antlers,  and  raised  it 
clear  out  of  the  water,  turning  it  upside  down  so  quickly 
that  the  men  were  all  frightened  and  stunned,  and  t\^'o  of 
them  were  either  killed  or  drowned.     The  other  four  were 


26  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

rescued  by  their  companions  on  shore,  after  the  Moose  had 
been  shot  several  times.  Tliese  incidents  convince  me  that 
a  man  can  not  successfully  battle  with  a  Western  Moose 
hand  to  hand — at  least,  not  in  the  water. 

The  question  of  the  best  rifle  to  use  in  hunting  Moose 
can  not  be  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  hunters  by  any 
one  writer,  for  there  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion  on  the 
subject  of  guns.  There  are,  however,  some  essential  re- 
quirements that  may  be  stated  in  general  terms.  The  rifle, 
to  give  satisfaction  to  the  Moose-hunter,  or  any  other 
hunter  of  large  game,  must  be  accurate,  effective,  and 
capable  of  rax)id  manij)ulation.  Hunters  of  long  experience 
shoot  mechanically,  and  not  with  conscious  deliberation.  For 
such  marksmen  no  gun  is  like  the  old  gun,  worn  and  rusty 
from  faithful  service.  To  such  veterans  I  raise  my  hat,  but 
offer  no  advice.  Their  success  makes  them  honorary  sports- 
men in  everj'  society,  and  also  makes  their  word  law  with 
amateurs.  There  is,  however,  one  maxim  that  no  thinking 
man  will  dispute,  and  that  is,  that  the  new  guns  are 
better  than  the  old  ones,  simply  because  modern  rifle- 
makers  have  profited  by  the  experience  of  their  predeces- 
sors. The  improvements  in  lifles  in  the  past  few  years, 
have  been  the  greatest  success  of  the  scientific  world.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  note  here  the  steps  in  the  evolution  from 
the  old  flint-lock  to  the  perfect  repeater  of  to-day.  This 
has  all  been  gone  over  in  other  works.  Being  called  ux)on 
to  choose  the  l)est  gun  for  Moose-hunting,  my  vote  would 
be  cast  for  the  new  Colt's  Lightning  Rei^eater,  forty  cal- 
iber, using  sixt\^  grains  of  powder  and  two  hundred  and 
sixty  grains  of  lead,  twenty-eight-inch  barrel,  ten  pounds 
weight,  and  carrying  ten  shots.  This  gun  I  unhesitatingly 
pronounce  the  most  perfect  in  lialance,  the  safest  from 
premature  explosions,  capal)le  of  the  .most  rapid  work, 
and  the  least  apt  to  fail  to  fire  when  subjected  to  the 
test  of  heat  and  to  the  manipulations  of  unsteady  hands. 
The  arrangements  for  working  the  gun  with  the  left  hand, 
while  the  right  hand  and  right  shoulder  support  it,  almost 
without  disturbing  the  aim,  is  the  most  important  advan- 


MOOSE-HUNTING  IN   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  27 

tage  this  gun  has  over  any  others  that  I  have  seen.  It 
enables  the  oj)erator  to  shoot  more  rapidly,  when  accuracy 
is  considered,  than  the  common  lever-actions  do. 

AVitli  any  of  the  new  repeating-rifles,  however,  all  that 
is  needed  to  do  good  work  is  good  Judgment,  a  good  eye, 
and  a  steady  nerve.  I  do  not  believe  in  the  heavy  guns  of 
large  caliber.  Even  for  a  Grizzly  Bear,  I  would  use  no  larger 
than  a  forty  caliber.  This,  however,  is  a  disputed  point. 
Men  with  more  experience  than  I  have  had  use  the  larger 
rifles. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  the  best  place  to  shoot 
any  big  game  is  through  the  shoulders.  The  Buffalo-hunt- 
ers discovered  long  ago  that  those  large  animals  were  most 
certainly  secured  by  firing  at  their  strong  and  bulky 
shoulders.  With  the  Moose  this  is  surely  the  best  policy. 
Their  shoulders  are  massive  and  their  chests  are  very 
deep,  so  that  there  is  danger  of  shooting  too  high.  The 
advice  of  the  most  successful  hunters,  with  whom  I  have 
associated,  is  to  shoot  low,  and  well  forward.  A  bullet 
througli  the  lungs  is  nearly  as  effective  as  one  through  the 
heart.  This  rule  should  govern  in  shooting  Deer,  Bears,  and 
all  other  large  game. 

In  the  winter  of  1884,  I  established  a  camp  in  the  Teton 
Basin,  at  that  time  an  unsettled  region.  The  high,  tim- 
bered Teton  Range  of  mountains  was,  and  is  yet,  well 
stocked  with  game,  and  the  wild  meadows  of  the  basin 
afforded  then,  but  not  now,  excellent  winter  range  for 
Moose,  Elk,  and  Deer.  In  the  fall,  the  Deer  came  to  the 
low  lands  with  the  first  snow;  the  Elk  followed  them  as  soon 
as  the  depth  was  increased  to  two  feet  or  more;  and  then 
the  Moose  would  come  when  the  crust  formed  on  the  snow 
in  the  mountains. 

The  Moose  is  as  thoroughly  at  home  in  soft  snow  as  he  is 
in  the  water;  but  when  the  heavy  crusts  form,  he  retreats, 
and  seeks  more  favorable  feeding-grounds.  My  cabin  was 
the  first  landmark  of  civilization  in  that  now  thickly  settled 
valley.  We  had  killed  Deer,  in  season,  till  we  were  sup- 
plied with  meat  to  last  all  winter.     Then  came  the  Elk,  and 


28  HKi   (iAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

they  were  so  tempting  that  we  were  moved  to  go  iu  search 
of  tlie  lirst  tliat  appeared.  We  killed  two  of  the  choicest 
to  be  found.  This  meat,  too,  we  placed  in  our  larder,  for  the 
sake  of  variety. 

A  month  later,  Moose  were  reported,  by  one  of  the  trap- 
pers, to  be  plentiful  half  a  mile  uj)  the  creek.  The  story 
he  told  of  the  great,  shaggy  beasts  lilled  us  with  the  spirit 
of  the  chase.  We  must  have  a  Moose's  nose.  No  other 
article  of  diet  that  we  could  think  of  possessed  such  cliann 
for  our  party,  just  then,  as  the  Moose's  nose;  and  a  Moose's 
nose  we  must  have.  The  snow  was  only  about  a  foot  deep, 
so  we  tramped  out  along  the  trails,  in  the  old-fashioned 
way,  for  a  still-hunt.  To  our  surprise,  we  found  the  game 
very  plentiful,  and  a^s  tame,  almost,  as  domestic  cattle. 
They  evidently  had  taken  possession  of  the  winter  range 
that  had  been  theirs  exclusively  for  ages,  and  seemed 
undisturbed  by  intrusion. 

The  first  Moose  encountered  was  a  cow.  She  wore  a 
shaggy,  faded  coat  and  a  sickly  look,  so  we  did  not  kill 
her.  She  moved  lifelessly,  like  a  i)oor  domestic  cow.  She 
moped  about,  and  secluded  herself  in  the  willows  where  she 
had  been  browsing.  We  consulted,  and  decided  that  she 
must  be  sick;  but  imagine  our  surprise  when  the  next  one.  a' 
bull,  was  discovered  trying  to  conceal  himself  in  a  clump 
of  willows. 

We  were  all  so  near  together  that  each  waited  for  the 
other  to  projjose  the  manner  of  attack;  so  one  of  the 
boys,  being  inexi)erienced  and  noted  for  his  bad  marksman- 
shif),  was  detailed  to  shoot  the  poor  old  bull,  some  of  the 
more  generous  sportsmen  declaring  themselves  too  kind- 
heai-ted  to  shoot  a  sick  animal.  At  the  crack  of  the  boy's 
riHe,  the  great,  rough-coated  mountain-monarch  reeled  and, 
with  a  groan  that  was  half  a  cry  of  agony,  fell  heavily  to 
the  gioiind.  lie  was  found  to  be  in  line  condition  for  the 
winter  season. 

We  feasted  on  humi),  and  discussed  the  peculiar  action  of 
the  game  we  saw  tiiat  day,  until  far  into  the  night;  they 
were  so  dilferent  from  the  slv  animals  we  had  hunted  in 


MOOSE-HUNTING   IN   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  29 

other  seasons,  and  amid  different  surroundings.  We  after- 
ward noted,  however,  that  the  Moose,  when  driven  from 
his  timbered  mountain  home  to  the  valleys,  where  he 
remained  a  few  weeks,  seemed  to  leave  his  shyness  behind. 
This  characteristic  has  been  noted  several  times  since. 
There  were  forty  Moose  counted  near  our  cabin  that  winter. 
On  one  occasion,  a  bull  Moose  passed  through  Rexburg, 
Idaho,  a  town  of  considerable  size.  He  went  on  through 
Elgin  and  other  thickly  settled  neighborhoods.  He  was 
followed  by  more  than  one  hundred  men,  and  killed  without 
more  than  the  trouble  necessary  to  butcher  a  beef  steer. 

My  conclusions  are,  from  these  seemingly  contradictory 
traits  of  this  animal,  that  he  loses,  to  a  great  degree,  the 
sense  of  fear  upon  changing  from  the  familiar  haunts,  where 
he  passes  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  in  the  solitude  of  the 
forest,  to  the  scenes  so  different  in  the  valleys,  where  the 
marches  of  hunger  enforce  a  temporary  sojourn.  During 
the  winter  that  I  was  the  only  householder  in  the  Teton 
Basin,  the  Moose  became  so  familiar  with  the  surroundings 
that  they  passed  around  the  house  at  night  so  closely  that 
we  could  hear  them  tramping  in  the  snow,  and  their  fresh 
tracks  were  seen  every  morning  within  easy  gunshot  range 
of  the  house.  They  became  so  tame  that  the  trappers 
often  encountered  them  in  their  morning  rounds,  and  they 
made  no  effort  to  escape. 

They  were  feeding  on  the  dry  grass  and  willows  along 
the  little  river.  They  would  wade  in  the  water  where  it 
splashed  over  the  rocks  and  did  not  freeze,  in  search  of  the 
sprigs  of  green  water-plants  and  strings  of  moss  that 
trailed  in  the  water  below  the  submerged  rocks.  The  Moose 
would  wade  about  when  the  cold  wind  blew,  and  icicles 
would  hang  from  their  coarse,  long  hair  in  great  white 
spears.  It  is  the  delight  of  the  Moose  to  paddle  in  the 
water  even  in  winter. 

One  of  our  trappers,  while  time  rested  heavily  on  his 
hands,  in  our  camp  on  the  Teton  River,  decided  to  try  to 
catch  a  Moose  in  a  snare.  He  provided  himself  with  a  one 
and  a  quarter  inch  manilla  rope,  and  selected  a  trail  a 


30  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

hundred  yards  from  tlie  house  as  the  place  to  make  the 
experiment.  The  rope  was  securely  fastened  to  a  cotton- 
wood  tree,  and  the  noose  was  hung  from  small  willows, 
directly  over  the  well-tramped  trail,  at  such  a  height  as  to 
allow  the  Moose  to  pass  his  head  through  and  at  the  same 
time  to  carry  the  lower  part  of  the  noose  forward  above  his 
knees  till  it  caught  him  securely  around  the  neck.  The 
lirst  night  rewarded  the  lucky  trapper,  inasmuch  as  the 
success  of  his  scheme  was  demonstrated.  His  work  was 
well  done,  but  the  game  was  too  strong  for  the  trap.  The 
rope,  which  would  have  held  tlie  strongest  team  of  horses, 
on  a  dead  pull,  was  snapi)ed  by  the  Moose,  and  the  fright- 
ened beast  ran  over  hills  and  plains,  dragging  the  rope  after 
him.  The  mark  it  made  was  seen  up  and  down  the  valley, 
wherever  the  trappers  went,  for  a  month.  The  Moose,  in  his 
rounds  of  feeding,  dragged  the  long  rope  through  the  water 
and  through  the  snow  in  turns,  till  it  became  a  ro])e  of  ice 
that  made  a  track  in  the  snow  as  if  he  were  dragging  a  log. 
It  must  have  been  a  great  burden  for  the  Moose  to  pull 
around,  yet  all  winter  tlie  track  was  seen,  where  it  crossed 
and  recrossed  the  Teton  Basin.  How  the  poor  brute  ever  got 
rid  of  his  trade-mark,  or  whether  he  is  still  wearing  it,  no 
one  knows.  1 1  was  a  new  rope,  and  would  last  him  for  years 
if  not  uulotided  by  some  lucky  chance. 

The  Clear  Water  River  has  its  source  in  the  heavy  forests 
of  the  Bitter  Root  Range  of  mountains,  and  its  many  trib- 
utaries drain  the  best  feeding-grounds  for  the  Moose  to  be 
found  in  any  part  of  our  country.  The  gold-hunters,  in 
tlu'ir  excursions,  pass  through  the  silent  wilderness,  but 
they  go  and  ('(mie  without  disturbing  the  game.  So  rugged 
are  the  rocky  canons  of  these  mountains  that  hunters  sel- 
dom iHMietrate  to  the  region  of  the  lakes  along  the  summit, 
and  tilt'  Moose  l)reed  there  yeai'  after  year  in  comparative 
safety.  From  these  game-preserves  the  Moose  never 
migrate  in  winter  in  lierds,  as  they  do  from  the  more  bar- 
ren regions  farther  south.  There  are  no  little  valleys  to 
invite  settlement  high  u[)  in  the  Bitter  Root  Range,  so  the 
encroachments  ai-e  not  so  destructive  to  the  game  in  these 


MOOSE-HUNTING  IN   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  31 

northern  ranges  as  they  are  near  the  National  Park  and  in 
the  fertile  valleys  of  the  Snake  River.  It  is  upon  the  trib- 
utaries of  Clear  Water  River  that  the  sportsman,  ten  years 
hence,  may  expect  to  find  Moose  in  numbers  that  will  insure 
good  sport  to  reward  endurance  and  patience.  Any  man 
who  can  lay  claim  to  the  name  of  sportsman  can  reasona- 
bly expect  to  find  a  Moose  in  two  or  three  days  of  still 
hunting  in  the  Clear  Water  region,  either  now  or  ten  years 
from  this  date.  The  Moose  supply  in  that  wilderness  will 
be  practically  inexhaustible — as  much  so,  at  least,  as  in  the 
forests  of  Maine. 

The  best  season  for  Moose-hunting  in  the  mountains  of 
the  Far  West  is  October  and  November.  The  first  snow- 
fall, on  the  mountains,  may  be  expected  in  November,  and 
if  the  hunter  is  not  discouraged  by  the  hardships  sure  to 
come  with  the  first  storms  of  winter,  he  would  do  well  to 
take  advantage  of  that  season,  as  that,  too,  is  about  the  time 
the  bulls  go  forth  to  battle  for  the  favors  of  the  females. 
This  is  the  season  in  which  the  native  hunters,  in  the  north- 
eastern woods,  are  said  to  use  the  birch-bark  horn  with  such 
terrible  results  to  the  unsuspecting  game.  The  horn  has 
never  been  used  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  my  knowledge, 
and  I  have  never  heard  any  such  noise  here  as  is  attributed 
to  the  Moose  in  the  woods  of  Maine  and  Canada.  The  cow 
Moose,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  never  utters  a  cry  of  any 
kind,  here,  and  the  bull  of  our  region  simply  whistles,  like 
the  Elk  and  Deer.  I  have  often  heard  them  make  their 
challenges  and  utter  their  calls,  but  it  was  simply  a  whistle, 
such  as  a  boy  might  make  by  blowing  between  his  fingers, 
though  coarser,  and  not  prolonged  or  repeated. 

My  first  experience  with  the  call  of  the  Moose  was  on  the 
Upper  Clear  Water  River,  ten  years  ago.  I  was  in  camp  in 
the  dense  cedar  forests  of  that  great  wilderness,  and  was 
not  expecting  to  see  large  game.  I  thouglit  the  whistle 
which  echoed  from  the  canon,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away, 
was  the  challenge  of  a  black-tailed  buck,  and  I  went  out  to 
meet  him  with  an  antiquated  Henry  ritie  of  the  lightly 
charged  pattern.     The  gun  was  old,  as  well    as    lightly 


32  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

cliarged,  and  was  kept  coated  with  dust  and  rough  with 
rust  by  the  owner,  who  did  not  know  that  better  guns  had 
been  made  in  hiter  times.  I  went  forth  to  secure  venison, 
uncertain  as  I  was  of  the  accuracy  of  the  sights,  as  well  as 
of  the  powers  of  the  rifle's  execution,  and,  half  in  a  spirit 
of  experiment,  blew  upon  my  hands  as  I  had  learned  to  do 
when  a  boy,  after  I  had  failed  to  locate  the  game  just  where 
I  expected  to  find  it. 

To  my  surprise,  I  heard  the  crackling  of  the  brush 
within  gunshot,  the  animal  that  caused  it  coming  nearer. 
"I  will  kill  the  Deer,"  I  thought,  and  w^as  soon  in  position, 
with  the  approaches  well  guarded.  Sure  enough,  a  dark 
form  passed  in  view,  but  it  was  too  large  and  too  dark  for 
a  Deer.  "It  is  a  mule,"  I  thought;  but  no!  his  gleaming 
antlers  appeared  in  full  view.  I  knew  the  stranger  then,  but 
was  undetermined  what  to  do.  It  was  folly  to  shoot  so  far  at 
a  Moose  with  that  little  old  pop-gun,  so  I  waited.  The  Moose 
came  blindly  on,  sniffing  the  air  and  beating  the  brush  with 
his  wide-spread  antlers,  as  if  enraged  and  ready  for  battle. 

He  came  witliin  thirty  yards,  standing  with  his  great, 
bulky  form  above  a  log  which  lay  between  us.  He  stood 
stock-still,  as  if  listening,  and  I  feared  he  would  hear  my 
heart  beat;  but  I  controlled  myself,  drew  a  steady  bead 
with  the  coarse  sight  on  the  butt  of  his  ear,  and  hred.  The 
bullet  penetrated  his  brain;  he  dropped  like  a  beef,  and  was 
dead  when  I  reached  him. 

This  Moose  came  at  the  call,  but  I  believe  he  would  have 
come  at  any  other  signal  just  as  promptly.  In  fact,  I  have 
since  heard  of  a  bull  Moose  approaching  camp  a|)parently 
in  response  to  the  bray  of  a  mule.  These  beasts  are  full  of 
light  when  they  are  on  these  excursions,  and  they  would 
almost  fight  a  buzz-saw  if  it  came  in  their  way.  I  offer  these 
suggestions  in  exijlanation  of  the  success  attending  the  use 
of  the  birch-bark  horn.  The  Moose  approaches  the  source 
of  the  noise  in  a  fit  of  rage  at  the  intrusion,  not  knowing  or 
caring  what  or  who  it  is,  and  not  because  he  is  deceived,  nor 
yet  because  the  noise  of  the  horn  is  an  imitation  of  the 
Moose  language. 


MOOSE-HUNTING  IN  THE  ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  33 

The  cow  Moose  does  not  grow  bold  like  the  bull  who  is 
so  ready  to  battle  for  her  in  the  fall  of  the  year.  Further- 
more, it  is  only  durinc;  one  short  month  that  the  antlered 
monarch  of  the  woods  is  brave  to  defend  his  mate.  After 
the  rutting-season  he  abandons  the  cows,  and,  in  companj" 
with  other  bulls  as  sullen  and  ungainly  as  himself,  retires 
to  the  most  secluded  lairs,  and  there  skulks  in  cowardice 
— afraid  of  his  own  shadow. 

All  winter  long  the  bulls  are  found  in  i^airs  or  in  herds, 
with  no  cows  or  young  about.  They  remain  separated  till 
the  calves  are  well  grown  and  are  able  to  run  from  danger 
by  the  side  of  the  mother. 

While  the  young  are  small,  they  do  not  depend  upon 
flight  to  escape  an  enemy.  They  are  effectively  guarded 
from  beasts  of  prey  by  the  mother.  She  will  drive  Wolves, 
Beai's,  and  Mountain  Lions  in  disorder  from  the  field.  When 
a  man  apx)roaches  the  secluded  bedding-ground,  the  mother 
silently  steals  away.  She  leaves  the  helpless  young  to 
hide  in  the  ferns  or  chaparral;  and  well  it  hides,  too.  At 
tlie  signal  of  the  departing  mother  Moose,  who  caresses  it 
with  her  nose,  and  may  be  breathes  her  ' '  God  bless  you  ' '  in 
its  ear,  the  little  creature  becomes,  in  looks,  a  part  of  its 
surroundings,  and  the  hunter  might  step  over  it  as  a  life- 
less, moss-covered  stone  or  piece  of  wood. 

In  1885,  I  spent  the  month  of  June  on  the  St.  Joseph 
River,  in  the  Ca?ur  d'  Alene  Mountains,  and  I  had  there  an 
experience  with  a  young  Moose  which  might  be  of  interest 
to  sportsmen.  It  is  a  beautiful  country  for  a  hunter  to 
spend  the  summer  in.  There  are  great  forests,  dark  and 
cool  with  shade;  there  are  lakes  and  streams  alive  with 
mountain  trout;  and  there  are  Deer,  Bears,  Elk,  and  Moose 
in  numbers  to  make  glad  the  heart  of  the  most  sordid 
plodder.  An  English  gentleman,  with  enthusiasm  and  cash, 
filled  me  with  the  desire  to  find  a  Moose  in  the  velvet  and 
in  the  gloss  of  a  summer  coat.  We  procured  a  camj)  outfit, 
and  sought  the  head-waters  of  the  little  St.  Joseph  River, 
There  we  found  a  great  park  of  giant  pines,  the  ground 
beneath  all  carpeted  with  soft  ferns  and  velvety  moss.    The 


34  BIO  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

sun  liad  no  power  to  darken  the  pale-green  ferns,  and  the 
wind  never  l)Iew  to  tangle  the  slender  fronds.  The  moist 
ground  was  untracked,  except  by  the  cautions  feet  of  the 
Avild  creatures  of  the  woods,  and  all  was  silent,  as  if  no 
eclioes  slumbered  in  those  bowers.  We  spread  our  camp 
on  the  soft,  sweet  floor  of  the  green-canopied  and  tree- 
studded  home  of  the  gods,  and  rested.  Rich  was  the  peace 
of  solitude  for  a  night. 

In  tlie  morning  we  were  longing  for  adventure,  like  rest- 
less spirits  in  a  new  world,  and  went  forth  commissioned  to 
explore  and  to  conquer  the  denizens  of  that  Arcadixin-like 
land  of  summer  loveliness.  We  tramped  far,  far  through 
an  outstretclied.  unchanged  expanse  of  forest,  without  sat- 
isfactory results  as  to  the  linding  of  big  game.  There  were 
dozens  of  that  species  of  grouse  known  as  the  fool  lien, 
with  its  staring  red  eyes  and  stupid  habit  of  sitting  like  a 
bronze  image  on  limbs  and  logs,  even  within  reach  of  our 
hands.  There  were  other  wonders  for  the  appreciative 
Englishman  to  admire,  but  he  was  determined  to  see  a  live 
Moose  in  its  native  haunts,  and  notiiing  less  would  satisfy 
his  longing. 

Finally,  when  he  Avas  sex")ara ted  from  me  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  I  heard  his  deej)  voice  in  tones  of  agitation.  I 
hastened  to  his  aid.  and  found  him  standing  with  gun 
presented,  a  model  for  an  artist,  demanding  an  answer  to 
his  unintelligible  ''  What  is  it  i"  He  was  i)ointing  into  a 
tangle  of  ferns  near  his  feet,  that  was  as  dense  as  the  rank 
clover  ill  a  rich  meadow. 

1,  as  with  an  echo,  answered,  "What  is  it  r'  when  by 
his  side  I  saw  a  crouching  little  animal,  with  glossy  ])iown 
coat,  Iving  low  and  still  as  a  frightened  fawn.  We  could 
not  at  first  determine  what  it  was,  but  its  innocent  eyes 
stayed  our  hands  before  we  pulled  the  trigger.  Xo,  we 
could  not  shoot  the  crouching,  beautiful  ci'eature. 

"Ah."'  said  the  athletic  foreign  spoi'tsman,  "I  will 
capture  the  l)l()()(ly  tiling! ""  and  handing  his  ritie  to  me.  he 
sprauu'  upon  it  like  u  lion  upon  a  lamb.  A  cry  went  up 
and  echoed   through  the  trees,  plaintive,  like  the  voice  of 


MOOSE-IIUNTING   IX   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  35 

a  child  in  distress.  It  was  not  coarse,  like  the  bleat  of  a 
calf,  but  seemed  to  have  a  softer  and  more  pathetic  tone, 
suggestive  of  humanity.  Its  struggles  were  vain  in  the 
arms  of  its  captor.  It  was  being  subdued  rapidly,  when  a 
rush  was  heard,  and  the  mother  Moose  appeared  with  a 
fury  that  made  us  sick  at  heart.  The  mad  beast  was  sur- 
prised, liowever,  at  the  manner  of  foe  she  encountered,  and 
she  stopi)ed  in  trembling  doubt  before  rushing  to  battle  in 
defense  of  her  pleading  offspring.  In  self-defense,  I  shot 
the  old  Moose  dead  in  her  tracks,  and  felt  guilty  as  of  a 
crime  a  moment  later. 

We  retained  the  calf  captive.  Our  pet  was  brown  in 
color,  with  a  tinge  of  rust  along  the  back  and  down  half- 
way on  the  sides.  The  parts  of  the  body  less  exposed  to  the 
weather  were  nearly  black,  and  reflected  a  silky  glossiness. 
The  coloi',  as  a  whole,  was  not  pleasing.  Like  all  the  other 
Moose  I  have  seen,  it  had  the  ding}^  look  of  a  partly  faded 
coat.  It  Avas  as  large  as  a  month-old  calf.  Its  head  was  large, 
and  had  the  appearance  of  being  too  heavy  for  its  long  neck; 
and  its  nose  had  a  well-developed,  ungainly  lump.  Its 
head  and  ears  were  decidedly  mulish  in  appearance.  Its 
legs,  especially  the  hind  legs,  were  long,  and  did  duty  with 
a  drag  of  tardiness:  but  the  hind  leiis  seemed  to  furnish 
nearly  all  the  motive  power.  It  would  stand  sometimes  on 
its  hind  legs,  like  a  Kangaroo,  and  look  about,  and  bleat  in 
that  pitiful,  half -human  tone,  which  often  caused  us  to 
regret  that  we  had  not  left  it  with  its  mother. 

It  was  restless,  and  seemed  to  be  untamable.  We 
detained  it  by  building  a  pen  so  designed  as  to  guard 
against  injury  to  its  tender  body,  but  it  literally  '"beat 
against  the  bars''  every  moment  of  its  captivity.  AVe 
hastened  out  of  the  mountains  with  it  to  a  ranch,  and  pro- 
cured ndlk  for  it.  There  we  arranged  a  good  stable,  and 
gave  it  tender  care;  but  it  kept  i\])  its  fretting  ways.  It 
would  walk  from  one  end  of  its  stall  to  the  other  continu- 
alh%  never  resting  and  never  sleeping,  to  our  knowledge. 
At  each  end  of  the  inclosure  it  would  rise  wp  on  its  hind 
legs  and  bleat,  and  then  turn  about  to  rex3eat  the  same  di^  - 


3(i  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

tressing  action  and  pitiful  cry  at  tlie  other  extremity  of  its 
prison.  It  lived  two  weeks,  and  died  of  a  broken  heart. 
The  sorrowing  Englishman  gave  it  a  burial  in  a  i)retty, 
shady  place,  such  as  he  thought  it  longed  for  in  life. 

Near  the  northern  l)oundary  of  Idaho  is  what  is  knowli 
as  tli<^  Lake  Region.  Within  a  ladius  of  seven  miles  may  be 
seen  fourteen  beautiful  tarns,  every  one  the  reserve  source 
of  a  rushing,  mad,  mountain  river,  which  has  a  deep,  rocky 
canon  for  a  bed,  leading  ultimately  to  the  same  destina- 
tion— to  the  great  wide  and  winding  Columbia,  that  redeems 
a  broad  desert  and  iinds  rest  in  the  sea.  Near  these  lakes 
is  a  wilderness  that  gives  the  Moose  the  solitude  and  shelter 
he  loves,  and  tine  groves  of  deciduous  trees  to  feed  upon, 
when  water-plants  are  locked  in  winter's  keeping. 

The  Moose  in  the  Lake  Region  of  Idaho  do  not  seek  the 
valleys  in  winter.  Here,  as  in  Canada,  they  form  yards, 
and  beat  down  the  snow  in  the  quaking  aspen  groves.  They 
have  never  been  hunted  there  in  winter,  to  my  knowledge, 
the  Indians  preferring  to  subsist  on  the  meat  of  the  Elk 
and  Deer,  which  are  found  not  so  remote  from  their  valley 
homes. 

The  Indian  is  not  an  epicure.  He  enjoys  most  the  food 
that  is  easiest  to  secure.  Any  flesh  is  meat  for  an  Indian's 
larder,  the  only  fear  he  feels  being  that  he  may  not  get 
enough  of  it. 

In  tlie  winter  of  1885,  I  crossed  a  mountain  divide,  from 
a  mining-camp  near  Coeur  d'Alene  Lake,  in  search  of 
a  Moose.  I  went  alone,  as  no  other  idle  man  in  camp  was 
willing  to  climb  a  mountain,  on  snow-shoes,  that  would 
recpiire  a  circuitous  run  of  seven  miles  to  gain  the  sum- 
mit The  snow  was  only  about  flfteen  inches  deep,  and 
the  mild  weather  warranted  the  belief  that  a  Moose  would 
be  fat  and  the  best  of  fresh  meat.  In  fact,  like  other 
hn-ers  of  the  chase,  I  was  prolilic  of  arguments  that  con- 
vinced me  that  I  should  go  a-hunting;  and  a-hunting  I  did 
go.  When,  after  five  liours  of  hard  labor,  I  gained  the 
bl"ak  sununit.  a  cutting  wind  cooled  my  enthusiasm.  I 
shuddered  at  the  horroi's  of  a  winter  blizzard  nine  thousand 


MOOSE-IIUXTING   IN   THE   KOOKY    MOUNTAINS.  37 

feet  above  the  sea.  I  could  now  turn  one  way  and  reach 
the  camp  again  in  an  hour,  or  I  could  turn  the  other,  face 
the  gale,  and  probably  find  a  Moose. 

I  decided  to  continue  the  hunt.  The  high  mountain 
where  I  stood  was  without  timber,  but  on  the  little  plateau  a 
mile  away  was  a  dense  growth  of  willows  and  small  cpiaking 
aspen  trees.  It  was  an  ideal  wintering-ground  for  a  Moose. 
I  could  risk  a  run  of  a  mile  or  two,  even  in  a  blizzard;  so  I 
took  a  cautious  turn  through  the  wind-tossed  and  sighing, 
leafless  little  trees.  One  mile,  then  two,  were  covered,  and 
no  game  to  encourage  me;  but  just  as  I  passed  the  XDoint  I 
had  fixed  for  the  place  to  turn  back,  I  found  a  Moose-trail. 

Of  course,  I  knew  the  next  depression  and  the  next 
clump  of  bushes  was  the  hiding-x)lace  of  the  game;  so  I 
sped  on  and  on.  At  last  I  routed  a  lone  Moose,  and  the 
direction  he  took  was  favorable  to  my  early  return  to  camp 
should  I  choose  to  abandon  the  chase.  ,  After  a  turn  over 
the  bleak  divide,  1  saw  the  animal  going  on  that  deceptive 
swinging  trot,  but  he  was  making  for  the  low  land  and  the 
river.  There  was  a  favorable  incline  for  a  snow-shoe  run 
that  no  horse  could  equal  for  speed.  I  Avas  confident  that  I 
could  run  near  enough  to  shoot  the  Moose,  even  if  the  snow 
was  not  deep  enough  to  interfere  with  his  Maud  S.  gait. 
I  was  successful  in  cutting  off  his  course  toward  the  woods 
and  in  turning  him  down  the  hill, 

I  nerved  myself  for  a  terrific  run,  and  determined,  if 
possible,  to  approach  near  enougli  to  shoot  the  big  brute 
while  at  full  speed.  The  mark  was  large,  and  I  was  armed 
with  a  good  repeating- ririe.  In  ten  seconds  I  could  slioot 
four  or  five  bullets  into  vital  parts  of  such  a  large  aninuil. 
I  made  the  run,  with  the  wind  against  me,  and  after  the 
greatest  effort  came  up  to  the  side  of  the  frightened  Moose, 
but,  to  my  great  consternation,  found  that  I  could  not  shoot. 
I  could  not  even  let  go  of  my  pole,  for  I  was  unable  to  stand, 
so  the  Moose  gained  the  valley,  and  before  I  could  steady 
myself  to  slioot  he  was  far  out  of  range.  I  do  not  l)elieve 
a  horse  could  have  run  as  fast  as  that  Moose  ran  across 
that  valley  to  the  timber  along  the  river. 


38  BIO  gamp:  of  north  America. 

I  was  too  tired  to  return  to  camp  that  night,  and  fortune 
favored  me  to  tlie  extent  that  I  was  given  slielter  by  a  kind- 
hearted  Indian.  I  was  fed  on  smoked  lish  and  smoked 
venison,  and  sk'pt  in  a  bed  of  smoked  skins;  but  fatigue 
and  hunger  give  Havor  to  food,  and  make  even  an  Indian's 
bunk  a  soft  and  sweet  bed. 

On  Christmas-day,  1883,  and  during  the  following  week, 
I  had  some  thrilling  experiences  with  Moose  in  the  deep 
snow  on  the  mountains  at  the  head  of  Warm  River,  one  of 
the  tributaries  of  the  Snake,  in  Idaho. 

I  had  established  a  winter  camj)  in  that  isolated  but 
picturesque  mountain  region.  The  snow  was  four  feet  deep 
on  Christmas-day,  and  soft  and  level  as  the  grass  in  a 
meadow.  Our  meat-sux)ply  was  reduced  to  a  limited  quan- 
tity of  strong  l)acon,  and  that  w^as  incentive  sufficient  to 
hasten  my  movements  to  secure  some  fresh  and  choice 
roasts  suited  to  the  tastes  of  a  hunter.  Only  a  nuVn  accus- 
touKHl  to  the  snow-shoe  would  undertake  an  excursion  over 
mountains  and  canons  Avith  four  feet  of  soft  snow  on  the 
ground;  but.  Avitli  the  experience  of  the  mountaineer,  no 
l)etter  conditions  could  be  desired  when  Elk  or  Moose. are 
th<'  game  to  ])e  hunted. 

I  was  out  early,  even  in  that  hour  when  trees  and  rocks 
sua])  the  most  with  frost  and  the  full  moon  is  palest  and 
looks  the  coldest,  just  before  the  ''sun-dogs"  appear  in  the 
east.  A  rifle  swung  lightly  over  my  shoulder,  held  in 
place  by  a  leather  strap.  My  Norwegian  snow-shoes  cut 
the  ("lisp,  velvety,  glistening  carpet  Avith  the  slightest 
'•  whish-Avhish  "'  imaginable,  and  my  speed  was  at  least  six 
miles  an  h(jiir  as  1  skirted  the  bald  mountain  at  a  slight 
descent. 

On,  on  I  went  for  hve  miles,  and  then  turned  to  climb 
to  the  great  AVhite  Pine  Park,  more  than  a  thousand  feet 
ab(»ve.  Py  tilt'  use  of  my  ])()1(\  1  made  the  winding  ascent 
as  fast  as  a  man  would  walk  on  a  good  road  on  an  up-grade 
so  steej).  The  mountain  side  was  barren  of  timl)er,  with 
many  walls  of  basaltic  rocks  standing  up  in  impassable  bar- 
riers, fi'owninu'  and  dark  aliove  the  snow.     Around  these 


MOOSE-HUNTING   IN   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  39 

overlianging  ledges  I  worked  my  way,  tired  and  half -dis- 
couraged, to  the  green  forest-line  that  crowned  the  canon 
wall. 

Having  gained  the  summit,  I  found  the  park  to  be  a 
beautiful  level  plateau,  with  large,  straight  pines,  their 
smooth,  limbless  trunks  standing  like  pillars  supporting  an 
endless  canopy  of  interlacing  boughs. 

The  grand  old  trunks  were  so  far  apart  that  my  progress 
was  not  impeded,  and  I  made  a  rapid  cruise  in  search  of 
Moose-trails.  I  was  not  long  in  finding  a  deep  road  crossing 
the  park  in  a  line  as  straight  as  a  railroad.  I  examined  the 
well -beaten  trail,  and  found  fresh  foot-prints,  indicating  that 
the  game  had  gone  in  the  direction  that  took  them  farther 
from  the  camp.  I  resolved  to  follow,  and  my  speed  for  an 
hour  would  have  done  credit  to  a  racer  of  record. 

After  the  pines  grew  thinner,  and  I  could  see  the  canon 
off  ,to  the  right,  a  slight  descent  and  a  turn  around  a  point 
of  a  rocky  cliff  brought  me  to  a  cove,  thick  with  quaking 
aspen  trees  and  brush.  On  these  the  Moose  had  been  feed- 
ing, and  the  snow  was  tramped  as  on  the  feeding-ground  of 
a  hundred  hungry  cattle.  They  had  twisted  and  broken 
down  trees  fifteen  feet  high.  The  split  and  broken  limbs 
reminded  me  of  the  work  of  Bears  in  a  berry-thicket.  The 
Moose  will  walk  upon  a  bush  with  his  breast,  and  bend  it 
down,  eating  all  the  twigs  off  as  he  passes  over;  and 
again,  he  will  reach  up  and  bend  down  a  large  limb  with 
his  nose.  Over  the  bent  limb  he  will  throw  one  fore  leg, 
and  hold  it,  as  with  a  hook,  till  it  is  carefully  trimmed. 

As  I  skirted  the  leafless  thicket,  I  saw  many  evidences  of 
the  great  strength  of  these  beasts,  of  distinct  and  strange 
habits.  I  could  see  where  they  had  plowed  through  the 
snow  in  search  of  a  broad-leafed  plant  that  grew  in  the 
mountain  swamp,  which  was  then  solid,  having  frozen 
before  the  snow  came.  The  Moose  had  not  attemi)ted  to 
remove  the  snow  by  pawing,  as  the  Deer  do,  but  had  rooted 
about  like  hogs,  or  as  they  (the  Moose)  hunt  for  food  under 
water.  The  snow,  seemingly,  was  not  the  least  hindrance 
to  them  in  their  search  for  food  on  the  ground. 


40  BIG  GAME   OF   NOitTlI   AMERICA. 

Not  a  Moose  could  I  see;  not  a  sound  could  I  hear. 
They  liad  evidently  scented  me  before  I  entered  the  head 
of  the  gulch,  and  had  silently  stolen  away,  I  found  their 
fresh  trails;  they  had  separated,  two  and  three  going 
together  in  their  Higlit.  I  estimated  that  not  less  than  a 
dozen  or  fourteen  had  been  feeding  in  the  thicket  and 
on  the  frozen  swamp  when  the  alarm  was  given  of  my 
approach. 

I  singled  out  the  new-made  trail  that  indicated  a  flight 
in  the  direction  of  camp,  and  started  on  a  desperate  run  on 
the  down-grade.  The  Moose  will,  when  chased  in  deep 
snow,  and  especially  if  closely  pressed,  choose  a  course  that 
gives  him  the  advantage  of  gravitation,  if  there  is  an  incline 
to  be  chosen.  I  shot  through  the  trees  at  a  reckless  speed 
for  at  least  five  miles,  but  never  sighted  a  Moose.  They 
were  breaking  a  new  trail  in  the  soft  snow,  and  how  they 
could  cover  a  distance  of  five  miles  in  so  short  a  sf)ace  of 
time  was  a  myst<ery  to  me. 

At  the  end  of  that  straight  run  they  turned  up  a  ravine, 
and  made  for  the  top  of  the  mountain  again.  These  tac- 
tics surprised  me;  but  I  soon  observed  that  they  were  fenced 
in  by  a  wall  of  rocks  to  the  left,  and  the  up-hill  course  was 
the  only  means  of  escape  from  a  pocket.  From  this  I 
reasoned  that  the  quarry  was  hard-pressed,  and  I  used  my 
pole  with  energy  for  a  long,  tiresome  climb.  I  knew,  then, 
the  game  was  far  ahead  f)f  me,  but  their  course  was  toward 
camp,  with  an  assurance  of  a  down-grade  run. 

So  steep  was  the  incline,  that  the  speed  1  made  on  my 
snow-shoes  was  only  limited  by  the  fear  of  obstacles  to  be 
encountered.  I  was  reckless,  and  I  indulged  in  a  terrific  run, 
barely  missing  a  crag  here  and  a  precipice  there.  Alas!  I 
did  not  miss  every  obstruction.  The  new-uiade  road  I  was 
keeping  just  below  me,  to  the  left,  turned  through  a  pro- 
jecting ledge,  at  a  sharp  angle,  in  a,  narrow  cut,  and  I 
plunged  over  the  wall.  I  shot  out  into  the  air.  and  down, 
down,  with  the  momentary  horror  of  a  nightmarel  My 
speed  hurled  me  into  the  soft  snow,  benumbed  with  fright, 
but  witliotit  a  l)ruise. 


MOOSE-HUNTING   IX   TllK   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  41 

I  recovered  my  snow-shoes  and  my  ])o\e  with  lamentable 
loss  of  time.  I  rushed  on,  to  fall  again  within  two  minutes. 
I  slowed  up,  but  in  the  excitement  I  repeated  the  acrol)atic 
feat  once  more  in  a  disagreeably  short  time.  If  I  had  not 
fallen,  I  would  have  surely  killed  the  two  Moose  I  had 
singled  out;  for  I  came  up  to  them,  and  was  preparing  to 
shoot,  when  I  fell — the  last  and  hardest  fall  of  the  day.  After 
that  the  course  was  more  level,  but  I  was  too  nearly 
exhausted  to  regain  my  lost  advantages.  I  had  run  those 
Moose  at  least  fifteen  miles,  in  snow  four  feet  deep.  They 
were  tired,  and  I  knew  they  were  failing;  but  I  was  even 
more  tired  than  they.  By  the  time  I  lost  confidence  in  my 
ability  to  run  them  down,  I  was  very  near  camp,  and  I 
slowly  poled  myself  along  to  the  place  of  needed  rest,  pre- 
senting the  aspect  of  a  hungry,  tired,  and  disapj)ointed 
man. 

The  snow  continued  to  fall  for  four  days  after  the  day  of 
disappointment,  the  incidents  of  which  ai-e  recorded  above; 
and  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  little  log  cabin  on  the  banks 
of  Warm  River  was  completely  hidden  from  view,  except 
the  shack  chimney  and  the  sooty  line  that  marked  the 
direction  of  the  wind  and  smoke. 

The  snow  lay,  soft  and  even,  seven  feet  deep  all  over  the 
mountains  and  valleys  around.  With  an  enthusiasm  inten- 
sified by  the  demands  of  appetite,  I  renewed  my  efforts  to 
comply  with  my  contract  to  supi)ly  the  camp  Avith  fresh 
meat.  With  a  riHe  that  weighed  nine  and  three-fourths 
pounds  strapped  on  my  shoulders,  and  a  very  light  dinner 
at  my  belt,  I  again  buckled  on  my  snow-shoes,  again  grasped 
the  long,  light  propelling-pole,  and  again  started  in  search 
of  the  great  ruminants.  The  dex)th  of  snow,  when  one  is 
fairly  launched  upon  it,  does  not  enter  into  account  when 
snow-shoeing.  On  that  occasion,  the  great  carpet  was 
unusually  soft  for  so  great  a  depth;  but  I  was  every  way 
equipped  for  easy  and  rapid  traveling.  Around  the  pole  I 
carried  was  a  disk  of  rawhide,  stretched  upon  a  hoop  like  a 
drum-head,  that  prevented  its  sinking  into  the  snow,  and 
afforded  a  saving  of  propelling  power. 


42  BIO    GAME   OF    NOKTII    AMKKICA. 

I  had  leariietl,  by  former  experience  and  observation,  that 
as  long  as  the  snow  remained  soft  the  Moose  Avere  loath  to 
leave  the  haunts  wliere  tlie  quaking  aspen  and  willow  grew. 
In  the  region  of  Warm  River  they  grow  at  the  heads  of  the 
little  spring  l)ranches;  on  the  border  of  the  parks  in  the 
high  regions.  I  began  the  task,  always  laborious  with  snow- 
shoes,  of  climbing  the  great,  frowning  mountain. 

As  the  engineer  works  out  a  switch-back  for  a  railroad 
over  a  mountain  summit,  I  wound  my  way  up — how  many 
hours  I  do  not  know;  but  after  attaining  an  altitude  of  two 
thousand  feet  above  tlie  steaming  river,  I  could  look  back 
at  the  black  smoke  from  the  cabin-tire,  and  it  seemed  only 
a  stone's  throw  away.  Yet  I  was  rejoiced,  for  the  feeding- 
ground  of  the  game  was  even  then  before  me. 

The  furrows,  broad  and  deej),  partiallj^  tilled  with  the 
snow-fall  of  a  day,  told  plainly  that  the  Moose  had  been 
there  only  the  night  before.  They  had  wallowed  about  like 
hogs  in  a  meadow;  they  had  broken  down  the  brittle,  frozen 
])ushes,  and  had  left  the  deep- marked  roads  to  lead  me  to 
the  next  grove,  a  half  a  mile  over  a  low  hill  and  through 
the  pine  pai'k. 

I  moved  silenth\  cautiouslj%  and  swiftly — full  of  hope 
that  I  might  surprise  this  shyest  of  game  in  its  lair;  but  I  was 
doomed  to  disai)pointment,  as  I  had  so  often  been  before. 
As  silently  as  I  moved,  over  the  most  noiseless  of  courses, 
I  found  only  the  beds  and  fresh  trails  left,  in  a  hurried 
tliglit.  by  two  large  Moose.  They  had  plunged  into  the 
depths,  and  had  left  a  road  such  as  a  rotarj^  snow-plow 
would  leave — ten  feet  wide  in  places. 

These  beds  were  on  the  snow,  i)acked  and  hard,  in  the 
way  to  allow  them  to  hear  and  see  to  the  best  advantage, 
by  su]>porting  them  as  near  the  surface  as  possible.  The 
coat  they  wear,  of  ccxirse,  long  hair,  makes  the  best  of 
wi-aps  foia  snow-bed,  so  that  they  suffer  no  hardships  from 
cold  or  wet.  From  the  evidences  of  hasty  flight  and  speed, 
I  judged  that  I  must  have  been  very  near  them  wlien 
they  stai'ted.  Their  plunging  must  have  been  desperate; 
bur  even  on  that  still  moiuinu-,  and  in  a  held  suited  for  a 


>!<)()SE-IIUNTING   IN   THE    llOCKY    MOUNTAIXS.  ^3 

fair  view,  I  heard  not  a  sound  nor  saw  the  least  flurry  of 
snow.  I  felt  rejoiced,  however,  over  the  prospect  of  success 
in  a  run  of  a  few  miles,  and  bent  to  the  chase  with  a  will. 

The  deep,  wide  road  they  made  led  aci'oss  the  undulating 
pine  park,  and  I  followed  at  one  side,  straining  my  eyes  to 
select  the  best  track  and  to  locate  the  game;  but  in  a  run  of 
two  miles,  at  fair  speed,  only  the  same  new-made  road  and 
the  same  evidence  of  desperate  flight  rewarded  me. 

At  the  edge  of  the  great  pine  forest,  the  course  led,  at  a 
gradual  descent,  toward  the  river.  My  speed  was  acceler- 
ated to  the  limit  of  safety,  but  the  two  Moose  had  also  the 
benefit  of  the  down-hill  course,  so  that  it  was  not  an  easy 
task  to  run  them  down ;  but  I  soon  saw^  them  pass  over  a 
ridge,  and  knew  they  were  failing.  As  they  were  going  by 
that  time  in  the  direction  of  the  camp,  I  felt  the  thrill  of 
exultation  that  comes  Avith  the  certaintj^  of  victory. 

One  rush  down  the  smooth  slope  would  bring  me  Avithin 
range.  My  rifle  was  unslung  and  carried  in  my  hand  as  I 
shot  through  the  keen  wind.  Steadily  I  held  my  course, 
though  it  tried  my  nerve  to  guide  my  surging  shoes,  now 
around  a  curve,  then  past  a  projecting  crag.  I  was  within 
a  hundred  yards  of  the  struggling  quarry.  They  were 
steaming  and  puffing  like  overworked  engines.  They 
snorted  blood  from  their  noses,  and  stained  the  snow 
on  either  side  of  the  trail  they  left,  but  their  s^^eed  Avas 
unchecked. 

My  x)ole  was  dragging  behind;  I  was  steadying  myself 
to  fire,  Avhen  the  game  turned  to  the  left,  around  some  over- 
hanging rocks.  The  mountain  was  steep  above,  and  tlie 
river  was  at  a  dizzy  dex)th  below.  I  was  all  eagerness  to 
make  a  good  shot,  when,  from  neglecting  to  watch  my 
course,  I  rushed  upon  an  obstruction  of  rocks,  and  fell. 

I  was  injured,  but  was  on  my  shoes  in  a  few  seconds. 
Another  run  brought  me  up  to  the  game,  and  only  thirty 
feet  above  them.  I  fired  at  the  great  bull.  He  staggered, 
and  kept  on;  but  a  ghastly  line  of  blood  on  the  trail  told  of 
the  deadly  effect  of  the  shot.  The  second  shot  was  aimed 
at  the  shoulder  of  the  smaller  Moose.     He  fell  at  the  crack 


44  Bia   GAME   OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

of  the  ritie;  but  the  other  struggled  on,  bleeding,  snorting, 
from  a  deadly  shot  through  the  lungs.  I  fired  four  shots 
into  him  before  he  fell.  He  had  grown  frenzied,  rigid,  and 
would  not  fall  till  I  approached  to  within  twenty  feet  and 
shot  him  just  back  of  tlie  ear.  He  plunged  forward  then, 
and  buried  himself  in  the  snow. 

I  stood  above  the  fallen  monarch,  stupid  from  exhaus- 
tion, and  gave  no  further  thought  to  the  animal  that  I  sup- 
posed lay  dead  four  or  live  rods  back.  Suddenly  I  heard  a 
loud  snort  and  felt  a  rush  from  behind.  As  I  dodged  to 
one  side,  the  Moose  I  had  thought  dead  charged  upon  me 
and  fairly  buried  me  in  the  snow.  His  rush  carried  him 
past  me,  but  he  turned  and  charged  again  before  I  recovered 
suthciently  to  shoot;  but  his  broken  shoulder  failed  him 
when  he  turned,  and  he  tumbled  down-hill  so  that  he  missed 
me  when  he  charged  the  next  time.  As  he  came  toward 
me  again,  his  eyes  were  green  and  his  body  was  all  shaggy 
with  bristles.  I  had,  however,  recovered  my  position  and 
my  nerve.  My  aim  was  true,  and  I  placed  a  bullet  fairly 
between  liis  eyes. 

Although  the  snow  was  seven  feet  deep,  and  this  Moose, 
had  a  broken  shoulder,  it  was  more  good  fortune  than  any 
advantage  I  had  that  saved  me  from  being  cut  to  pieces  by 
his  feet.  I  am  satisfied  that  no  man  can  safely  battle  with 
a  Western  Moose,  in  any  depth  of  snow,  with  any  Aveapon 
other  than  a  ritie,  and  a  good  one  at  tliat. 

These  Moose  were  both  bulls.  The  smaller  one  had  shed 
his  antlers,  but  both  were  still  in  good  condition,  and  our 
larder  was  enriched  with  a  thousand  pounds  of  the  linest 
venison  that  the  Rockv  Mountains  aiford. 


ELK-HUNTING  IN  THE  OLYMPIC  MOUNTAINS. 


By  W.  a.  Peuuy  ("  Sillalicum"). 


;ONARCH  of  the  wilderness!  Lord  of  the  mount- 
ain! King  of  the  plain!  What  hunter,  who  has 
sought  thee  in  thy  pine-embowered  home,  whose 
"^^^^^^i-s^^  heart-beat  does  not  quicken  and  whose  eye  does 
not  brighten  at  the  mention  of  thy  name!  For  with  it 
comes  the  recollection  of  boundless  prairies,  grass-robed 
and  flower-decked;  of  pine-clad,  snow-capped  mountains; 
of  sweet  breezes,  gentle  melodies,  grand  troi^hies.  I  once 
heard  a  dying  Indian  speak  his  last  words,  and  they 
were  these:  "To-morrow,  in  the  Spirit  Land,  again  shall 
I  chase  the  Wapiti."  Many  a  white  hunter,  unstained 
by  the  vices  of  society  and  the  snares  of  civilization,  hopes, 
as  did  the  dying  Indian,  that,  when  he  shall  leave  the  camps 
of  earth  for  those  beyond  the  unknown  sunset  mountains, 
in  the  happy  hunting-ground,  he  shall  again  chase  the 
Wapiti. 

Excepting  the  Moose,  the  Wapiti  is  the  lai'gest  of  all  the 
Deer  famil}^  and  was  formerly  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of 
the  United  States,  in  Mexico,  and  in  British  America  as  far 
north  as  the  sixtieth  parallel  of  north  latitude;  but  he  has 
vanished  before  the  approach  of  civilization,  and  is  now 
found  only  in  the  remotest  mountain  fastnesses  west  of 
the  Missouri  River  or  in  the  great  forests  of  British 
America.  The  largest  herds  now  remaining,  outside  of  the 
Yellowstone  National  Parlv,  are  found  in  the  Olympic 
Mountains  of  Washington,  and  among  the  mountains  of 
Vancouver  Island,  British  Columbia.  There  are  still  many 
remaining  in  the  Cascade  and  Rocky  Ranges,  but  they  do 
not  congregate  there  in  vast  herds,  as  they  do  in  the  Coast 
Ranges. 

(  45  ) 


46  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTK   AMERICA. 

The  color  of  the  Elk  is:  Head  and  neck  dark  brown,  the 
head  a  shade  lighter  than  the  neck;  sides,  back,  and  thighs 
cream-colored  gray;  under  the  belly,  black;  legs  are  seal- 
brown;  on  the  rump  is  a  large  six)t  of  white  that  extends 
down  on  either  side  of  the  tail,  joining  the  white  between 
the  legs.  This  white  spot  is  bordered  with  black  on  the 
lower  edges.  These  shades,  however,  vary  at  different  sea- 
sons, and  on  different  individuals. 

The  Elk  has  a  beautiful  head,  small  and  well -formed. 
The  antlers  are  cylindrical,  with  tines  long  and  slender. 
The  pedicel,  on  which  the  antler  rests,  can  be  plainly  seen 
on  the  calf  at  five  months  of  age.  This  pedicel  never 
appears  through  the  skin  in  Elk  of  any  age,  and  will  vary 
in  height  from  one  to  three  inches  in  Elk  of  different  ages. 
At  one  year  of  age,  the  antlers  sprout  from  the  base,  and 
at  eighteen  months  of  age  we  have  a  spike-buck,  an  incip- 
ient bull  Elk.  These  spikes  sometimes  grow  to  a  length  of 
thirty  inches  before  the  spike-buck  is  two  years  old.  The 
spike-buck  drops  these  horns,  not  as  his  elder  brothers  do, 
in  the  last  of  December  or  early  part  of  Januar}',  but  in 
March  or  Ai)ril.  He  is  proud  of  them,  and  after  the  old 
bucks  have  shed  their  horns,  does  not  fail  to  reniind  them 
of  the  tact  by  goring  them  frequently.  In  traveling  at 
such  times,  he  assumes  the  old  buck's  place  at  the  head  of 
the  column;  and  should  the  band  be  attacked  by  Wolves  or 
Cougars,  a  circle  is  at  once  formed,  with  the  spike-bucks 
around  the  outer  edge,  and  a  Cougar  or  Wolf  who  makes 
the  acquaintance  of  the  young  warrior  will  remember  the 
inti'oduction  to  the  last  day  of  his  existence. 

In  the  summ<n"  of  the  second  year,  the  jintlers  develop 
two  joints,  in  the  third  three,  in  the  fourth  four,  and  in 
the  fifth  live.  After  this,  it  is  inq)ossib]e  to  estimate  accu- 
rately the  age  of  a  bull  Elk,  as  there  is  no  further  regular- 
ity in  tiie  occurrence  of  points.  In  some  instances,  there 
are  more  ])oints  on  one  antler  tlian  on  the  other. 

The  older  bulls  usually  slied  their  horns  in  the  last 
of  December  or  the  lirsi  lialf  of  .lanuaiy.  When  the  time 
comes  to  drop  his  hoins,  the  bull  leaves  the  herd,  seeks  a 


ELK-HUNTING   IN   Til?:   OLYMPIC   MOUNTAIXS.        .    47 

secluded  thicket,  and  rubs  liis  horns  against  a  small  tree 
until  they  drop  off,  when  he  at  once  rejoins  the  herd.  The 
toj)  of  the  pedicel,  from  which  the  ai^tlers  liave  been 
dropped,  Avill  sometimes  show  sores  as  large  in  circumfer- 
ence as  a  silver  dollar.  These  spots,  however,  soon  heal 
over,  and  the  antlers  sprout  anew  in  March  or  Aj^ril.  About 
the  middle  of  July  they  are  in  the  velvet,  when  the  bull 
again  leaves  the  herd,  and  seeks  an  open  meadow  on  some 
lonely  mountain-peak,  where  there  are  plenty  of  bushes. 
He  then  devotes  much  of  his  time  in  the  morning  to  thrash- 
ing and  rubbing  the  bushes  with  his  antlers,  there  evi- 
dently being  some  microbe  or  insect  in  the  velvet  that 
irritates  the  animal.  There  is  always  plenty  of  blood  to 
be  found  on  such  thrashing-grounds. 

In  the  afternoon,  when  the  sun  is  shining  fiercely,  the 
Elk  will  lie  down  in  the  open,  exposing  his  antlers  to  its 
rays.  Hunters  call  this  hardening  the  horns.  By  the 
middle  of  August  the  horns  are  hardened  and  i^olished; 
then  his  Elkship  leaves  the  higher  ranges  of  the  mountains, 
declares  war  against  all  other  bull  Elk,  strides  up  and 
down  the  canons  and  mountain-sides,  and  collects  a  harem 
of  cows,  over  which  he  rules  with  Turk-like  severity,  unless 
deposed  by  some  stronger  and  more  formidable  beast  of  his 
kind.  If  so  deposed,  he  loses  no  time,  but  starts  at  once  in 
search  of  another  harem,  that  is,  i^erliaps,  ruled  over  by  a 
weaker  Elk  than  himself.  A  battle  royal  now  takes  place, 
and  if  victorious,  the  roamer  is  ruler  once  more;  if  not,  he 
continues  his  search  for  a  weaker  potentate  whom  he  can 
dethrone. 

In  May,  the  Elk  leave  the  foot-hills,  and  seek  the  higher 
ranges  of  mountains,  going  as  near  the  snow-line  as  pos- 
sible, and  yet  not  so  high  as  to  be  beyond  the  timber-line. 
The  cows  leave  the  herd,  and  seek  tangled  thickets,  where 
the  calves  are  dropped.  The  cow  is  a  tender  and  affec- 
tionate mother,  and  is  immensely  proud  of  her  graceful, 
spotted  infant.  She  will  fight  for  it  to  the  death  if  need 
be.  Should  a  Cougar  or  Bear  appear,  or  a  AVolf  come 
prowling  near,  she  will  at  once  utter  a  loud  call,  stamp  her 


48  'BIG  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

feet,  and  grind  lier  teeth  savagely.  At  tlie  sound  of  her 
cry,  all  the  Elk  in  the  vicinity  (and  the  hulls  at  this  time 
are  never  far  away)  come  rushing  in  wild  haste,  and  woe 
betide- the  intruder;  for,  although  their  horns  are  at  this 
time  but  feeble  weapons  of  offense  or  defense,  their  hoofs 
are  sharp,  and,  surrounding  the  intruder,  they  leap  upon 
and  trample  him  to  pieces.  By  a  wise  provision  of  Nature, 
the  calves  emit  no  scent  to  attract  prowling  camivora,  and 
so  such  attacks  are  not  frequent. 

Should  the  cow  be  alarmed  while  feeding  in  company 
with  the  calf,  she  will  at  once  stamp  her  foot,  and  tlie  calf 
will  drop  to  the  ground  and  lie  motionless.  It  will  also 
"'possum,"  and  should  it  be  lifted  in  the  arms  of  a  human 
being,  it  will  lie  limi3  and  motionless.  Only  the  beautiful 
eye  will  betray  it,  as  it  forgets  to  shut  its  glistening  orb, 
and  so  reveals  the  sham. 

The  cows  rarely  i^roduce  more  than  one  calf,  though 
occasionally  two  are  dropped.  The  calves  remain  with  the 
cows  until  four  or  five  months  old;  then,  in  company  with 
th(4r  mothers,  they  join  the  larger  bands.  During  the  rut- 
ting-season  the  calves  remain  with  the  cows.  The  cow  Elk 
usually  drops  her  first  calf  at  two  years  of  age. 

The  natural  gait  of  the  Elk  is  a  walk.  They  trot  or  gal- 
lop when  alarmed,  but  can  not  sustain  the  latter  gait  for 
any  great  length  of  time.  During  the  rutting-season,  or 
shortly  befoi'e  it  begins,  when  traveling,  the  bulls  are  always 
in  advance,  the  cows  and  fawns  in  the  center,  and  the  rear 
is  brought  uj)  by  the  si)ike-bulls.  No  body  of  trained 
soldiers  could  move  with  more  discipline  or  regularity  than 
a  liei'd  of  Elk.  The  band  idways  acknowledges  one  leader, 
the  largest  and  strongest  bull  in  the  herd.  Should  he  be 
shot,  the  band  falls  into  hopeless  confusion,  and  rushes 
about  like  demented  creatures.  The  Indian  hunters,  aware 
of  this  fact,  will  follow  on  the  trail  of  a  band  day  after 
day,  often  refusing  good  opportunities  to  slay  other  mem- 
bers of  the  band,  until  an  opportunity  is  afforded  of  shoot- 
ing the  leader.  When  this  is  done,  the  remaining  members 
of  the  band  fall  victims  one  bv  one. 


ELK-IIUNTING   IN   THE   OLYMPIC   MOrXTAINS.  49 

Nothing  is  more  interesting  than  to  witness  a  battle 
between  two  old  bull  Elks.  The  challenger,  when  approach- 
ing a  band,  or  harem,  blows  a  loud  whistle  of  defiance.  (Take 
a  half-pint  bottle  and  blow  strongly  into  it,  and  the  sound 
60  produced  will  be  similar  to  the  call  of  the  bull  Elk  during 
the  rutting-season.)  This  whistle  is  at  once  answered  by 
the  ruler  of  the  herd,  who  steps  boldly  forth  to  do  battle 
with  the  intruder.  With  heads  lowered  between  their  fore 
feet,  the  two  adversaries  walk  around  waiting  for  an 
opening,  and  when  one  is  thrown  off  his  guard,  the  other 
makes  a  savage  rush;  but  his  opponent  instantly  regains, 
counters  the  charge,  and  as  they  rush  together,  the  horns 
strike  each  other  with  such  terrific  force  that  the  report  can 
be  heard  for  a  long  distance.  Slowly  retreating,  bellowing, 
grumbling,  and  grinding  their  teeth  in  a  paroxysm  of  rage, 
the}''  again  circle  around,  and  when  an  opportunity  is 
afforded,  make  another  charge,  which  is  countered  as 
before.  The  challenging  Elk  usually  does  most  of  the 
offensive  fighting  until  he  finds  (if  such  be  the  case)  that 
he  is  the  weaker;  then  he  sullenly  retires,  bellowing  as 
he  goes.  These  battles  are  seldom  fatal,  and  during  rut- 
ting-season are  an  every-day  occurrence.  L^gly  wounds 
often  result  from  them,  and  sometimes  a  prong  of  an 
antler  is  broken  in  the  affray. 

There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  controversy  in  the  various 
sportsmen's  papers  concerning  the  relative  size  and  weight 
of  the  Elk.  On  the  Pacific  Coast  they  grow  larger  than  in 
the  Rocky  Mountain  regions,  and  will  average,  for  cows, 
about  four  hundred  pounds;  for  bulls,  about  seven  hundred. 
Of  course  there  are  exceptions  to  this.  I  have  seen  an  Elk 
that  would  weigh  at  least  eleven  hundred  pounds;  but  he 
was  the  Jumbo  of  his  species,  and  would  stand  at  least 
seventeen  hands  high,  as  they  measure  horses.  The  Elk  is  a 
deceiving  anitnal  in  regard  to  weight,  being  short-bodied 
and  having  long  legs. 

For  so  kingly  an  appearing  creature,  the  Elk  is  a  very 
common  feeder.  He  does  not  hanker,  like  his  smaller 
brother,  the  Black-tailed  Deer,  for  the  i^otato-patch,  the 

4 


50  BIG  GAME  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

clover-field,  the  springing  wheat,  or  the  bark  of  the  apple- 
trees  that  grow  in  the  ranchman's  fields  or  orchards. 
True,  when  in  severe  winters  the  deej)  snows  that  have 
fallen  on  the  mountains  drive  herds  of  Elk  down  into  the 
settled  valleys,  they  frequently  Join  the  settler's  cattle,  and 
remain  on  good  terms  with  the  latter,  but  usually  soon  fall 
victims  to  the  ranchman's  rifie. 

Their  principal  food  consists  of  grasses,  mosses,  and 
lichens.  In  times  of  continued  storms,  they  browse  and 
keep  fat  for  weeks  on  the  boughs  and  bark  of  maple,  alder, 
willow,  and  cottonwood  trees;  but  if  the  snow  is  not  too 
deep,  they  paw  the  ground  bare,  in  order  to  procure  grass, 
lichens,  and  mosses.  In  the  spring,  they  follow  the  receding 
snows  until  they  reach  the  higher  mountain  valleys — their 
summer  quarters  and  breeding-grounds.  Here  the  grass, 
nipped  weekly  by  frosts,  is  sweet,  and  just  to  their  taste. 

Xo  sight  could  be  more  interesting  to  the  hunter-natu- 
ralist than  to  watch  a  herd  of  Elk  feeding  in  one  of  these 
secluded  mountain  valleys.  If  there  be  a  stream  running 
through  the  valley,  bordered  b}^  a  sand-bar,  the  entire 
band  makes  this  their  sleeping-place;  and  the  bands  always 
assume  the  same  position  in  sleeping — the  calves,  cows,  and 
yearlings  in  the  center,  and  the  bucks  around  the  outer 
edge  of  the  circle,  so  that  in  case  of  a  night  attack  by 
Wolves  or  Panthers  the  strongest  will  meet  the  first  onset 
of  the  foe. 

Unlike  otliers  of  the  Deer  tribe,  the  Elk  do  not  often 
feed  at  night,  but  are  stirring  with  the  earliest  dawn. 
Nothing  is  so  indescribably  beautiful  as  the  motion  of  the 
head  of  an  Elk  when  grazing.  It  is  the  very  poetry  of 
motion  spiritualized.  When  the  band  is  feeding,  tlie  leader 
will,  every  few  minutes,  stop  grazing,  elevate  his  head,  and 
scan  the  valley  for  signs  of  danger.  Tliej^  feed  until  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  then  retire  to  their  sand- 
bar; or  if  it  be  in  the  time  of  rubbing  the  velvet  from  their 
horns,  the  bulls  seek  their  thrashing-grounds,  and  ml)  their 
horns  vigorously.  Then  they  lie  down  on  some  open  south- 
ern hill-side,  and  expose  their  horns  to  the  rays  of  the  sun. 


ELK-HUNTING   IN   THE   OLYMPIC    MOUNTAINS.  51 

While  resting  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  they  can  be 
easily  aj)proached.  Aboat  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
they  leave  the  sand-bar,  or  siinning-ground,  and  again  seek 
the  meadow,  where  they  graze  until  dusk,  when  they  retire 
to  the  sand-bar  for  the  night. 

In  winter,  they  gather  in  large  bands,  and  are  constantly 
on  the  move;  while  they  may  not  travel  out  of  a  small 
valley,  yet  they  are  in  motion,  seeking  food.  At  this  time 
they  develop  very  hog-like  characteristics  for  so  grand  an 
animal.  With  them  it  is  the  universal  rush  of  the  strong 
against  the  weak;  and  if  the  tiny  calf  of  the  band  paws  up  a 
tender  morsel  of  lichen,  the  grandest  bull  in  the  circle  does 
not  hesitate  to  drive  her  away  and  appropriate  it  himself. 

The  feeding-ground  of  a  band  of  Elk,  in  winter,  often 
resembles  a  farm -yard,  the  snow  being  trodden  down,  and 
packed  as  hard  as  ice,  and  the  trees,  if  aspen,  birch,  or 
willow,  have  most  of  the  bark  eaten  off.  All  the  smaller 
branches  within  reach  are  eaten,  the  animals  often  standing 
on  their  hind  legs  in  order  to  reach  the  highest. 

A  poj)ular  method  of  hunting  the  Elk  when  he  inhab- 
ited the  great  prairies  was  to  run  him  on  horseback.  He  is 
usually  still-hunted  in  the  forests  and  mountains,  dogs 
being  but  seldom  used.  The  weapons  used  by  the  Indians 
were  bows  and  arrows,  sjjears,  and  guns.  Sinre  this  noble 
game  has  been  driven  from  the  prairies,  there  remains  only 
the  still-hunt  and  the  Indian  method  of  waiting  on  run- 
ways, surrounding  the  band,  and  then  driving  them  over 
some  precipice. 

In  former  days,  when  Elk  were  hunted  on  horseback, 
almost  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  gun  (or  large  caliber 
pistol)  was  considered  sufficient  for  the  purpose,  as  the 
trained  horse  would  bring  the  hunter  so  near  that  he  could 
place  his  gun  against  the  animal,  and  could  hardly  fail  to 
bring  it  doAvn;  but  in  the  mountains  this  condition  of  things 
is  reversed,  and  in  i^ursuing  this  game  the  very  best  arm 
obtainable  should  be  used. 

True,  when  compared  with  others  of  the  Deer  family, 
the  Elk  is  easily  killed.    A  shot  that  a  Black-tailed  Deer 


52  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

would  carry  for  several  miles  before  lyin^-  down  will  lay 
an  Elk  out  in  one-third  the  distance.  In  winter,  when 
there  is  a  good  tracking  snow  on  the  ground,  a  wounded 
Elk  may  be  followed,  though  at  a  great  expense  of  time  and 
labor,  and  will  sometimes  be  found  in  a  place  where  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  secure  the  antlers  or  meat,  as  when 
wounded  they  will  endeavor  to  reach  the  most  inaccessible 
places. 

In  my  opinion,  the  best  arm  for  hunting  the  Elk  is  the 
Winchester,  in  the  larger  bores — 40-82,  45-90,  or,  best  of  all, 
the  new  110-300  Express.  I  have  given  this  gun  an  exhaust- 
ive trial  on  large  game,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  it 
the  best  rifle  for  big  game  hunting  that  human  ingenuity 
has  yet  produced.  Light,  strong,  and  rapid  of  manipula- 
tion, terrific  in  killing  power,  there  is  no  animal  on  this  con- 
tinent that  can  escape  from  a  cool,  nervy  man  armed  with 
one  of  these  superb  weapons.  Some  sj^ortsmen  object  to 
the  heavy  recoil  of  this  rifle,  but  a  recoil  that  is  uncomfort- 
able when  shooting  at  a  target  is  never  felt  in  the  excite- 
ment of  game-shooting,  and  it  is  evident,  from  my  own 
experience,  that  a  wound  from  one  of  these  bullets  leaves 
such  a  trail  of  blood  that  it  can  be  followed  over  bare 
ground  by  the  veriest  novice. 

The  40-82  is  a  good  substitute,  when  tlie  Ex^jress  bullet 
is  used.  So  is  the  45-90;  but  while  they  will  do  the  work, 
I  do  not  consider  them  as  sure  as  the  110-300.  One  of  my 
hunting  companions,  a  man  who  has  killed  more  Deer  and 
Elk  than  any  man  of  my  acquaintance,  uses  a  44-caliber 
Winchester,  Model '  73.  With  him  that  gun  was  the  only  gun 
worth  owning  until  he  tried  my  Express.  Since  then,  when 
a  difficult  shot  is  to  be  made,  when  we  are  hunting  together, 
he  stands  back,  and  calls  me  to  use  the  "  thunderbolt.'' 

One  disadvantage  in  using  a  common  small-bore  I'ifle  is 
that,  in  moments  of  excitement,  the  novice  frequently  for- 
gets to  elevate  his  sights,  and  so  frequently  undershoots 
his  quarry.  With  the  Express,  I  find  that  it  is  almost  point- 
blank  up  to  two  hundred  yairds,  so  that  no  changing  of  ele- 
vation is  necessary. 


ELK-HUKTING   IN   THE  OLYMPIC   MOUNTAIlSrS.  *  53 

The  i)i'incipal  Indian  method  of  hunting  the  Elk,  in  the 
Olympic  Range,  is  by  driving  them  over  precipices.  Select- 
ing a  well-known  sjDot,  on  a  well -traveled  Elk-trail,  they 
will  lie  in  wait  for  weeks,  until  a  band  appears  coming  down 
the  mountain.  The  place  usually  selected  is  one  where  the 
trail  curves  around  some  great  rock.  Just  at  the  edge  of 
a  precipice  a  hundred  feet  or  more  in  height.  A  scout, 
stationed  high  up  the  mountain,  gives  notice  of  the  approach 
of  a  band,  and  then  the  Indians  mass  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
curve,  while  others  conceal  themselves  above  the  curve. 
As  soon  as  the  band  passes  these  latter,  they  spring  to  their 
feet,  rush  down  the  trail,  yelling  and  firing  guns.  The 
Indians  at  the  lower  end  of  the  curve  do  the  same,  and  the 
Elk,  finding  themselves  surrounded,  leap  over  the  clifl"  and 
are  crushed  on  the  rocks  below.  The  Siwash  is  lazy  and 
cruel.  Sometimes,  after  driving  a  large  herd  over  a  cliff, 
some  of  them  will  be  found  alive,  near  the  Indians'  camp,  a 
week  later,  with  every  limb  shattered.  At  one  time  I  expost- 
ulated with  an  Indian  on  this  needless  cruelty,  when  he 
replied:  ''Meat  keeps  better  living  than  dead.  When  I 
want  to  eat  him,  I  will  kill  him.'"  In  that  case  it  was  not 
the  survival  of  the  fittest,  for  the  Wapiti  is  far  the  nobler 
animal  of  the  two. 

Many  years  ago,  when  the  Elk  were  abundant  on  the 
plains,  the  favorite  method  employed  by  the  Indians  of 
hunting  them  was  on  horseback.  When  information  was 
brought  to  an  Indian  village  that  a  band  of  this  favorite 
game  had  been  sighted,  all  was  excitement,  confusion,  and 
eagerness.  The  best  Buffalo-horses  were  at  once  caught  and 
saddled,  and  the  most  expert  hunters  mounted  on  them. 
Like  all  other  species  of  Ctrridct^  Elk  are  prone  to  run  in  a 
circle  when  alarmed.  Taking  advantage  of  this  habit,  the 
hunters  would  divide  in  two  or  three  bodies,  and  would 
ride  in  different  directions,  always  keeping  to  windward, 
until  the  band  were  partially  surrounded. 

Then  one  of  the  hunters  who  rode  a  fleet  horse  would 
be  sent  to  startle  the  band.  As  soon  as  he  appeared,  the 
Elk   would   start  off,  on    their  long,    sweeping   trot,    and 


54         I  BIG  GAME  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

should  there  be  a  conical  mound  or  hill  in  sight,  would 
make  i'oi*  it.  Reaching  it,  they  would  halt  on  its  summit, 
and  look  back  at  the  pursuer.  No  sooner  would  they 
catch  sight  of  him,  than  off  they  would  go  again,  sweeping 
down  the  hill  with  the  same  swift  stride.  When  they 
reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  a  hunter  would  rise,  like 
an  apparition,  out  of  some  coulee,  or  clump  of  bushes;  then, 
the  terrified  Elk  would  turn  and  run  directly  up  the  hill 
again.  The  hunter  who  had  chased  them  down  would  now 
turn  and  gallop  up  the  hill  and  down  the  other  side  as  fast 
as  his  horse  could  carry  him,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  he 
would  hide  in  a  clump  of  bushes,  a  ravine,  or  other  cover. 

Swiftly  down  the  hill  would  sweep  the  Elk,  with  their 
seemingly  untired  stride,  and,  when^  near  the  foot,  the 
apparition  that  had  so  terrified  them  on  the  other  side 
Avould  rise  before  them  again;  swiftly  they  would  wheel 
and  head  up  the  hill  again.  Great  spots  of  foam  now  clot 
their  sides,  and  is  wreathed  about  their  mouths.  The  leader 
chaftges  his  sweeping  trot  to  a  lumbering  gallop;  the 
hunter  in  pursuit  utters  a  ringing  whoop,  which  is  faintly 
echoed  by  hunters  in  the  distance  again  and  again. 

Soon,  mounted  hunters  are  riding  up  the  hill  from 
every  quarter.  The  lumbering  gallop  of  the  Elk  grows 
slower  and  slower.  Presently,  the  proud  leader  falls,  pierced 
by  an  arrow  or  a  ball;  then,  the  band  falls  into  confusion, 
and  gallops  aimlessly  about  in  all  directions 

Nearer  come  the  riders.  So  well  do  they  sit  in  the  sad- 
dle, that  the  horse  and  the  rider  seem  to  be  one  creature. 
They  rush  upon  the  doomed  Elk.  Then,  the  trained  Buf- 
falo-horse selects  his  victim  and  gallops  alongside.  If  a 
cow,  the  frightened  animal  hastens  its  speed;  if  a  bull,  he 
lowers  his  head  between  his  fore  feet,  and  charges  his  pur- 
suer. His  mad  rush  is,  however,  easily  eluded  by  the 
trained  horse,  who  leaps  away,  and  in  another  second  is 
again  at  the  side  of  the  panting  Elk.  The  Indian  places 
his  gun  at  the  Elk's  brisket,  and  fires.  If  the  victim  does 
not  drop  instantly,  he  fires  again;  and  the  noble  brute  falls, 
dying,  on  the  grass. 


ELK-HUNTING  IN  THE  OLYMPIC   MOUNTAINS.  55 

The  horse  continues  his  wild  pursuit;  the  Indian,  stand- 
ing in  his  stirrups,  drops  a  charge  of  powder,  from  a  flask 
that  liangs  at  his  side,  into  each  barrel.*  Then,  sinking 
into  his  saddle  again,  he  takes  from  his  mouth  two  bullets 
that  fit  loosely  in  the  barrels.  Now,  raising  the  gun  in  his 
left  hand  as  high  as  i)Ossible,  he  strikes  a  heavy  blow  on 
the  stock  with  his  right,  in  order  to  settle  the  bullets  in 
their  places;  then,  cocking  both  barrels,  he  quickly  places 
a  cap  on  each  nipple,  striking  the  gun  another  heavy 
blow  in  order  to  jar  the  powder  into  the  nipples,  and  he 
is  ready  to  slaughter  another  Elk,  if  all  have  not  already 
fallen  before  the  murderous  guns  and  arrows  of  the  other 
Indians. 

This  was  the  most  exciting  of  all  methods  of  hunting 
the  Elk,  and  many  an  old  hunter,  who  reads  this  sketch, 
will  recall  the  wild  scenes  of  the  day  when  he  rode  on 
such  an  Elk-hunt,  in  company  with  the  degraded,  filthy, 
unj)rincipled  Crees,  whose  only  redeeming  virtues  were  a 
good  seat  in  the  saddle  and  a  bright  eye  for  game.  May 
this  reminiscence  also  bring  back  the  breezy  freshness  of 
the  boundless  prairie,  when  the  trembling  hand  that,  per- 
chance, is  now  weak  and  nerveless  was  strong  and  brawny; 
when  the  step  that  now  falters  was  bounding  and  elastic; 
when  the  eye 'that  is  now  fading  was  as  piercing  as  that 
of  an  eagle  in  its  searching  gaze. 

Still-hunting  is  now  the  most  sportsman-like  method  of 
hunting  the  Elk.  True,  it  lacks  the  wild  delirium  of  excite- 
ment that  is  felt  in  madly  galloping  over  a  XDrairie  with 
such  noble  game  in  sight,  vainly  endeavoring  to  escape; 
for  this  was  a  sight  that  must  send  the  life-blood  bounding 
through  every  vein.  Yet,  the  still-hunter,  when  he  stands 
over  the  fallen  monarch  whom  he  has  followed  stealthily 
for  many  hours,  when  the  match  was  cunning  against  cun- 
ning, when  it  was  reason  against  instinct,  now  has  ample 
cause  to  be  proud  of  his  work. 

*  The  guns  used  by  the  Cree  Indians,  in  the  hunt  that  I  have  described, 
were  muzzle-loading  shotguns,  16  bore,  and  had  the  barrels  sawn  off  until 
only  fifteen  inches  in  length. 


86  ma  game  of  north  America. 

The  Elk,  though  not  so  wary  as  the  Black-tailed  Deer,  is 
far  more  difficult  to  approach  than  the  Virginia  Deer,  It 
has  sharp  scent,  and  unusually  good  eyesight;  and,  in 
stalking  it,  these  facts  should  be  remembered.  If  in  level 
woods,  work  against  the  wind;  when  you  stop,  scan  every- 
thing within  the  range  of  your  vision.  Then,  if  you  fail  to 
see  what  you  are  in  search  of,  look  for  a  tree  in  line  with 
you  that  is  easy  of  approach;  make  for  it  as  swiftly  and 
noiselessly  as  possible.  When  you  reach  it,  keej)  behind 
it  and  take  a  view,  first  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other. 
If  you  see  nothing,  select  another  tree  in  advance, 
and  keep  on  as  before;  avoid  springing  on  or  over  high 
logs. 

If  you  see  the  slightest  motion,  stop  instantly;  the  Elk 
has  a  large,  mule-like  ear,  that  it  is  constantly  moving 
during  insect-time.  When  you  see  what  you  think  to  be 
the  shadow  of  a  passing  bird  or  a  leaping  squirrel,  stoj). 
If,  after  intently  looking,  you  can  not  distinguish  what  it 
is,  try  and  get  another  tree  in  range,  and  approach  nearer. 
Look  close  to  the  ground;  your  Elk  may  be  lying  down. 
Cautiously  approach  still  nearer.  When  you  reach  the 
spot,  a  covey  of  blue  grouse  rush  into  the  air  with  a 
startling  whir.  Fooled,  weren't  you  <  No,  you  were  not 
fooled;  you  did  just  as  every  experienced  hunter  would 
have  done.  Again  you  x>roceed  just  as  before,  dodging 
behind  the  trees,  with  the  wind  in  your  face.  Soon  you 
reach  a  pebbly  brook.  You  lay  your  gun  down,  stretch  your- 
self at  full  length,  and  imbibe;  then  you  smack  your  lips. 
Never  was  wine  so  sweet.  When  you  raise  your  head, 
an  odor,  subtle  and  sweet,  greets  your  nostrils.  It  is  the 
breath  of  the  balsams;  yet  no  balm  from  Araby  could  be 
more  grateful.  What  is  that  sound  that  comes  sigliing 
like  the  song  of  the  sea?  Nothing  but  the  gentle  breeze 
among  the  cedar  and  fir  branches  overhead. 

As  you  step  across  the  brook,  you  see  a  track  in  the 
sand.  You  start!  Yes,  he  has  been  here.  Again  you  look 
intently.  The  firm  imprint  of  the  sand  defines  the  track 
as  clearly   as  if  it  had  been  carved  there  by  a  sculptor. 


ELK-HUNTING   IN  THE   OLYMPIC   MOUNTAINS.  57 

A  quiver  of  excitement  thrills  your  frame,  old  hunter 
though  you  are.  Then  you  begin  to  advance  quickl}^  and 
swiftly  against  the  wind.  Recollecting  yourself,  you  stoj), 
look  around,  and  then  advance  slowly,  keeping  concealed 
as  much  as  x^ossible.  Tlie  single  track  has  multiplied  into 
many.  See,  the  moss  has  been  pawed  off  that  log,  and 
there  a  little  branch  has  been  torn  from  a  bough  of  that 
birch. 

Yet  you  move  slowly  onward.  Half  an  hour  has  passed 
since  you  saw  the  foot-print  by  the  brook-side.  In  all  that 
time  you  have  not  come  more  than  a  hundred  yards. 
What  if  you  haven't?  you  have  done  just  right  in  moving 
slowly.  Presently  you  reach  a  little  opening.  You  stand 
behind  a  tree,  and  look  on  one  side;  then,  turning,  you  look 
around  the  other.  What  was  that  that  caught  your  eye? 
Was  it  the  shadow  of  a  bird?  No,  it  could  not  be,  for  it  is 
rej)eated  again  and  again.  Looking  intently,  you  are  able 
to  discern,  through  the  tangled  undergrowth,  a  small  head 
crowned  with  branching  antlers.  You  move  a  step  to  the 
right,  and  now  it  is  clearly  defined  against  the  green  back- 
ground of  flr-l)Oughs;  there  is  another,  and  still  another. 
Your  heart  gives  a  great  bound,  and  then  grows  almost 
still.  The  Elk  are  too  far  away  for  a  sure  shot,  yet  they 
are  within  one  hundred  yards  of  being  in  line  with  you. 
Every  moment  you  expect  to  hear  the  shrill  whistle  of 
alarm,  and  to  see  your  long-sought-for  quarry  vanish  in 
the  greenery  beyond. 

Like  a  shadow  you  sink  to  the  ground.  Over  the  sward 
you  creej)  like  a  serpent.  You  grasp  a  stick  that  lays  in 
your  way,  but  droj)  it  likeahasli.  It  is  only  a  "devil's 
war-club,"  old  and  dry,  but  it  has  left  a  hundred  sp)ines 
bristling  in  your  hand.  If  you  are  human,  you  will  swear, 
but  softly,  and  with  bated  breath.  Onward  you  creep. 
The  stream  is  reached.  You  spring  to  your  feet,  and  swiftly 
move,  at  right  angles,  away  from  the  point  where  you  saw 
the  Elk.  As  you  move,  your  angle  grows  less.  Then  you 
stop,  turn  around,  and  again,  like  a  shadow,  flit  from  tree 
to  tree.     You  fear  you  may  have  failed  to  mark  correctly. 


58  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Bat  no!  See  that  towering  dead  cedar?  Just  to  the  right 
of  it  is  the  spot  where  his  regal  antlership  stood.  That 
tree  is  yet  a  hundred  yards  away,  and  between,  it 
and  you  the  branches  are  low  and  interlacing.  Your 
steps  grow  painfully  slow.  You  can  hear  the  beating 
of  your  heart.  Even  silence  makes  a  sound.  Slowly  you 
advance.  Again  does  that  deadly  fear  cause  your  heart 
to  beat  slowly,  faintly.  They  have  heard  you,  and  have 
fled! 

Suddenly  you  stop,  then  start  as  though  you  had 
received  an  electric  shock.  There,  standing  not  twenty-five 
yards  away,  is  the  monarch.  Such  a  i)icture  he  is,  too! 
Standing  sidewise,  with  his  head  turned  and  his  nose 
elevated  so  that  his  horns  lie  directly  over  his  shoulder, 
he  sniffs  the  tainted  air.  He  has  not  seen  you,  but  he  has 
scented  you.  His  large  ears  flip  forward  and  back.  You 
become  aware  that  other  forms  are  behind  him;  that  other 
eyes  are  looking  for  the  danger  the  patriarch  has  signaled. 
Quick!  They  will  be  away  in  a  moment.  Up  with  the  rifle! 
See  his  shoulder?  There  is  where  his  heart  is — an  inch  or  two 
behind  it.  Hold  but  a  fraction  of  a  second.  Think;  some- 
times he  will  run  for  two  hundred  yards  if  shot  through 
the  heart.  Bang!  He  won't  go  far.  Click!  click!  bang! 
A  good  shot.  The  spike-buck's  neck  is  broken.  A  still 
better  shot,  for  he  was  stopped  at  full  trot. 

Click!  click!  See  those  funny  white  patches  that  are 
vanishing,  and  then  appearing  over  where  the  old 
buck  galloped^  Don't  stop  to  cut  the  bull's  throat.  Find 
the  old  fellow.  What  great  splotches  of  red  on  the  ground! 
The  Express  has  done  its  work  well.  Run!  y(ju  can't  alarm 
anything  now.  Swiftly  you  dart  away.  Ha!  what's  this? 
Struggling  in  death  lies  the  fallen  monarch.  Over  him, 
looking  intently  at  him,  is  a  large  cow.  Be3'ond  are  several 
pairs  of  horns  and  ears.  Eyes  are  i)eering  at  you  from  the 
underbrush.  The  cow  sees  you.  and,  with  a  squeal  of  alarm, 
starts  off  on  her  long,  swinging  trot.  You  see  the  least 
glimpse  of  light  on  the  ivory  bead,  and  press  the  trigger. 
You  held  just  half  an  inch  in  front  of  her  fore  leg.     She 


ELK-HUNTING   IN  THE   OLYMPIC   MOUNTAINS.  59 

sinks  down  in  lier  tracks  before  you  hear  the  rejjort,  shot 
through  the  heart  and  her  shoukler  shattered. 

Now  out  with  your  knife;  seize  her  by  the  ear  and  slash 
her  across  the  throat.  Pick  up  your  gun.  Now  do  the 
same  for  the  old  bull.  Not  much  blood  in  him,  eh?  Well, 
he  pum^Ded  lots  of  it  out  in  making  those  few  jumps.  Pick 
u]}  your  gun.  Now  for  the  spike-bull.  Hark!  A  crashing 
in  the  bushes,  and  a  bull  as  large  as  the  monarch  comes 
striding  along,  with  his  nose  pointing  straight  out  and  his 
horns  flat  along  his  sides.  Bang!  bang!  He  stops,  wavers, 
reels,  then  falls,  shuddering,  to  the  ground.  Confess  the 
truth.  You  were  startled.  You  are  not  sorry  you  brought 
your  gun  with  you,  instead  of  leaving  it  where  you  cut  the 
cow's  throat,  are  you?  Fill  up  your  magazine,  and  then 
cut  the  throats  of  these  two.  When  you  reach  the  last 
bull,  what  do  you  see?  Blood  gushing  out  of  four  wounds, 
and  all  of  them  fatal.  Now  cut  the  throat  of  that  spike- 
bull,  and  sit  down  on  him. 

What  is  that  crashing  you  hear  among  the  bushes  in 
various  directions?  Only  Elk  hunting  for  their  leader.  You 
rise  and  seize  your  gun.  Sit  down.  You  are  a  gentleman; 
not  a  prowling  market-hunter;  nor  yet  a  filthy  reprobate 
of  a  skin-hunter.  Haven't  you  heads  and  antlers  to  adorn 
your  home  richly,  and  beef  enough  to  last  two  families  a 
whole  year?  Sit  down.  What  more  do  you  want?  If  you 
are  a  cuss  as  writes,  you  will  send  a  description  of  this 
scene  to  some  sportsman's  paper.  You  will  tell  how  guilty 
you  felt,  how  you  blushed,  when  those  bright,  ap^oealing 
eyes  were  turned  on  you,  when  their  owner  felt  the  cruel 
knife.  (They  were  all  dead  when  you  reached  them.)  Then 
you  will  wander  off,  and  gush  about  rose-tinted  forests,  and 
the  winds  sighing  requiems  thnnigh  the  pines.  All  these 
brilliant  and  intricate  lies  you  will  tell,  just  because  it  is  the 
custom  to  tell  them.  Try  and  be  manly  about  it.  You  did 
kill  those  beautiful  creatures.  You  are  glad  you  did  so. 
It  was  a  difficult  thing  to  do.  It  was  intellect  against 
instinct.  It  was  reason  against  cunning.  You  have  won 
your  laurels;  and  as  the  eyes  of  the  monarch  gaze  down 


60  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

upon  you  from  the  walls,  you  proudly  tell  your  boys  the 
story.  As  a  skillful  woodsman,  an  expert  hunter,  they  will 
always  have  cause  to  revere  you. 

If  you  are  hunting  in  company  with  others,  and  are  not 
too  far  from  camp,  go  to  where  the  cow  lies.  Cut  around 
her  hock,  split  the  skin  uj)  to  the  center  of  the  body,  above 
and  then  below.  Don't  be  afraid  of  spoiling  the  skin,  for, 
except  as  a  memento,  the  skin  of  the  Elk  is  worthless.  Then, 
from  the  round,  cut  a  plentiful  supply  of  rich,  juicy  meat 
for  all  hands  at  cami).  Then  start  off  on  your  homeward 
way. 

But  stop.  Consider  a  moment.  Hadn't  the  intestines 
better  be  removed?  Yes;  a  good  idea.  If  you  are  a  practi- 
cal hunter,  this  won't  take  you  long;  but  if  you  are  a  novice, 
it  will  bother  you  considerably.  When  done,  no  matter 
how  roughly,  you  will  feel  better  satisfied.  Now,  can  any- 
thing else  be  done?  Yes;  set  the  big  cedar  on  fire,  if  the 
woods  are  damp,  so  that  there  is  no  danger  of  the  fire  spread- 
ing. It  will  serve  as  a  beacon  to  guide  you  back  to  your 
game,  and  will  also  serve  to  frighten  prowling  Wolves  and 
Panthers  away.  To  think  is  to  act.  The  great  cedar  is 
hollow.  A  few  dry  branches  piled  in  the  cavity,  the  flash  of 
a  match,  a  cloud  of  smoke  curls  up,  and  the  fire  roars  like  a 
furnace.     Now  you  may  start  for  camp. 

Arriving  there,  you  approach  with  all  the  dignity  that 
becomes  a  victorious  warrior.  When  your  companions  see 
your  load,  they  will  cluster  around  you,  and  beg  of  you  the 
tale  to  unfold.  But  this  is  no  time  for  unfolding;  so  you 
calmly  state  that  you  are  ahungered,  and  likely  to  die  of 
starvation,  and  that  a  thrilling  tale  will  be  lost  to  the  world 
if  you  are  not  soon  fed.  Then  your  companions  will  bring 
forth  the  standard  food  and  the  thickest  drink  that  the 
camp  affords,  and  you  will  dine  like  a  prince. 

After  dinner,  you  will  take  a  seat  near  the  fire,  on  some- 
thing soft,  with  your  head  pillowed  on  a  convenient  tree. 
Then  willing  hands  will  fill  your  pipe,  light  it,  bring  it  to  you, 
and  you  find  that  you,  who  were  this  morning  abused  and 
chafed  as  a  tenderfoot  and  a  sorry  hunter,  are  the  honored 


ELK-HUNTING  IN  THE  OLYMPIC   MOUNTAINS.  61 

one  of  the  whole  outfit.  Then,  as  the  smoke  of  your  pipe 
curls  slowly  upward,  you  will  relate,  in  measured  cadences, 
the  story  of  the  Wapiti  that  fell  victims  to  your  skill 
in  the  odorous  forest  green;  and,  as  you  close,  you  point  to 
the  halo  of  light  that  reddens  in  the  evening  sky  from  the 
great  cedar,  and  say:  "Now  to  rest,  for  to-morrow  at  day- 
break we  must  go  forth  and  bring  in  the  meat  and  heads." 
Your  friends  do  not  retire,  however,  till  near  morning;  and, 
as  they  tarry  by  the  camp-fire,  oft  and  again  is  heard  the  siz- 
zling of  steaks  over  the  coals.  Long  will  the  flavor  of  those 
juicy  steaks  be  remembered,  for  there  is  no  animal  that 
runs  on  legs  whose  flesh  is  so  dainty,  so  tender,  and  so 
nutritious  as  that  of  the  Wapiti. 

Mr.  L.  L.  Bales,  an  old-time  hunting  companion,  sends 
me  the  following  description  of  an  Elk-hunt  in  Sultan 
Basin,  Washington: 

"  It  was  on  the  first  day  of  June,  1887,  that  my  compan- 
ion and  self  arrived  at  the  Horseshoe  Bend  mining-camp. 
We  were  surprised  to  find  a  good  log  house,  well  supplied 
with  'grub,'  and  all  the  mining-tools  necessary  to  run  a 
hydraulic  mine,  where  we  expected  to  find  nothing  but 
a  'lean-to.'  We  were  on  a  cruising  expedition  for  the 
purpose  of  locating  hunting  and  trapping  grounds  for 
the  ensuing  season.  After  a  short  consultation,  we  con- 
cluded to  send  our  pack-animals  back  to  the  Skikomish 
River,  and  make  the  camp  our  headquarters  for  the  next 
montli. 

' '  We  were  puzzled  over  the  apj^earance  of  everything  in 
and  about  the  camp.  It  looked  as  though  the  occupants 
had  left  but  yesterday;  but  from  knowledge  we  had  gained 
in  the  settlements,  and  from  a  few  lines  written  on  a  piece 
of  paper  and  tacked  on  the  door,  we  learned  that  the  last 
occux^ant  had  left  just  six  months  before;  also  that  we  were 
welcome  to  the  use  of  the  house,  but  were  cautioned  to  be 
careful  of  fire.  With  this  understanding,  we  pulled  the 
latch-string  and  walked  in,  when  a  wild-looking  house-cat 
rushed  out. 


62  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

"  In  a  short  time  we  had  cooked  and  eaten  supper,  and 
began  to  phin  our  movements  for  the  morrow.  My  com- 
panion concluded  to  cruise  near  camp,  while  I  was  to 
take  a  light  pack  and  start  for  Sultan  Basin,  the  head  of 
Sultan  River,  twenty-two  miles  distant,  through  a  rough 
country.  The  underbrush  was  of  a  dense,  rank  growth, 
and  there  was  no  sign  of  a  trail.  Daylight  the  next  morn- 
ing found  me  ready  for  my  trip.  Somehow  or  other,  I 
found  my  partner's  hand  in  mine  as  I  said:  'If  I  am  not 
back  here  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  ten  days  hence, 
you  can  go  back  to  the  settlements,  as  something  will  have 
happened  to  me,  and  in  these  trackless,  evergreen  forests  it 
would  be  useless  to  search  for  me.'  I  felt  the  honest  grip 
of  his  hand  as  he  said: 

"  '  If  you  are  not  back  here  in  eleven  days,  I  will  start  on 
the  twelfth  to  hunt  you  up.    So  long! ' 

"With  these  parting  words,  I  turned  my  face  to  the  north 
and  started  on  my  long  and  lonely  tramp.  At  ten  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  I  found  myself  on  a  high, 
wooded  mountain,  just  below  timber-line.  Away  to  the 
west  of  me  I  could  hear  the  roaring  of  some  stream,  while 
north  of  where  I  stood  a  giant  snow-peak  reared  its  mighty 
head.  AVliile  I  listened,  I  could  distinguish  the  distant 
roaring  of  three  different  rivers.  What  is  that  stream  to 
the  northwest?  That  is  the  Sauk,  a  tributary  to  the  Skagit. 
And  that  on  the  west?  That  is  the  Stillaguamish.  And 
that  on  the  southwest;!  It  is  the  Pillchuck,  or  Red  Water. 
And  this  great  valley  lying  at  my  feet?  This  is  the  Sultan 
Basin,  a  valley  six  miles  long,  two  wide,  hemmed  in  by 
great  high  mountains — a  great  big  hole  in  the  ground,  just 
twenty-two  miles  from  nowhere. 

"Flanking  a  huge  washout  on  my  right,  I  began  the 
descent  into  the  basin.  By  dint  of  rolling,  tumbling,  and 
sliding  a  distance  of  over  a  mile,  I  I'eached  level  ground 
on  the  banks  of  what  was  left  of  Sultan  River.  It  was 
quiet  enough  here  in  comparison  to  a  few  miles  below, 
where  to  look  down  on  the  river,  between  the  narrow 
walls  of  the  canon,  would  make  you  dizzy,  while  the  river 


ELK-HUNTING  IN   THE  OLYMPIC   MOUNTAINS.  63 

appeared  like  a  white  ribbon  below.  I  soon  made  my  camp, 
caught  a  few  fine  trout,  had  supper,  and  turned  in  for  the 
night. 

'•The  next  morning  I  started  early  to  explore  the  basin, 
look  for  game  and  fur  signs,  calculating  to  use  my  first 
camp  as  a  home-camp  while  stopping  in  the  basin.  The  river 
was  low,  as  the  June  freshets  had  not  yet  come  down,  and 
in  every  bend  of  the  river,  either  on  one  side  or  the 
other,  were  great  gravel-bars,  sometimes  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  wide  and  one-fourth  of  a  mile  long.  I  soon 
struck  one  of  these  bars.  Elk-signs  were  plenty;  also  the 
natural  enemies  of  the  Elk,  the  Cougar  and  Timber  Wolf, 
had  been  there. 

"There  were  some  Cinnamon  and  Bald-faced  Bears,  and 
very  few  Beaver  signs.  As  I  calculated  to  stay  in  the  basin 
a  few  days,  1  wanted  some  Elk-meat.  I  kept  a  sharp  look- 
out for  that  kind  of  game.  I  would  take  a  few  steps,  and 
look  carefully  at  everything  within  my  range  of  vision, 
occasionally  looking  over  that  portion  I  had  just  i)assed 
that  was  still  in  range. 

"Thump!  thump!  thump!  Listen!  Isn't  that  a  Deer 
jumping?  Oh,  no.  my  boy!  that  is  your  heart  beating. 
And,  reader,  if  there  is  a  heart  in  you,  and  you  had  been 
with  me,  your  heart  would  have  beaten  too:  for  what  had 
looked  like  a  mass  of  dead  tree-limbs,  I  just  then  discov- 
ered was  the  velvet-covered  horns  of  six  bull  Elk. 

"  And  now  to  stalk  them.  I  felt  satisfied  that  I  was,  as 
yet,  unobserved.  They  were  fully  three  hundred  yards 
away,  in  plain  view,  lying  down  with  their  heads  toward 
me.  They  were  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  near  the 
water.  You  will  recollect  this  was  about  ten  o'clock  in  the 
day,  and  how  I  had  come  into  full  view  of  those  Elk  with- 
out their  seeing  nie,  when  there  was  not  so  much  as  a  twig- 
between  us,  is  something  I  never  could  answer  satisfac- 
torily; but  I  did  take  ten  minutes  to  get  from  a  standing  to 
a  lying  i^osition,  and  twenty  more  minutes  to  roll  off  of  that 
gravel-bar  to  the  friendly  cover  of  an  alder-thicket  near  l)y. 
The  rest  was  easy.    In  another  lialf-hour  I  was  within  forty 


64  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

yards  of  the  Elk,  with  nothing  but  the  river  and  a  salmon- 
berry  bush  between  us. 

"And  now  for  a  half -hour  of  close  observation  that 
money  can  not  buy.  There  they  were,  six  noble  fellows, 
the  smallest  being  a  si)ike-bull  and  the  largest  a  six- 
pointer.  Do  Elk  chew  the  cud?  Yes;  just  the  same  as 
domestic  cattle.  I  now  perceived  why  the  Elk  Avere  lying 
near  the  water.  There  seemed  to  be  a  cold  strata  of  air, 
kept  in  motion  by  the  water,  that  drove  the  mosquitoes 
from  the  open  bar  back  into  the  brush. 

"The  Elk  were  all  lying  with  their  heads  down-stream. 
How  grand  they  looked  in  repose!  How  I  did  long  for  a 
camera!  There  were  sets  of  antlers  there  (in  the  velvet) 
that  would  have  weighed  seventy-live  pounds.  How  leis- 
urely the  old  chaps  chewed  their  cuds!  How  unconscious 
of  danger  they  seemed!  I  leveled  my  rifle  at  the  head  of  a 
three-point  bull  (being  the  smallest  I  could  get  a  shot  at), 
and  pressed  the  trigger. 

"The  others  never  ceased  chewing  their  cud.  They 
seemed  to  think  the  sound  had  been  caused  by  the  break- 
ing and  falling  of  some  dry  limb  of  a  tree.  A  defect- 
ive, cartridge?  No,  I  guess  the  sights  of  my  rifle  must 
have  got  moved  some  way.  No,  they  are  all  right.  May 
be  the  gun  is  excited?  No,  it  seemed  to  be  as  cool  as 
possible  under  the  circumstances.  I  then  began  to  exam 
ine  myself.  I  thought  I  was  all  right,  too;  so  I  tried 
again. 

"Now  all  was  confusion.  Yes,  I  hit  the  Elk,  but  too 
low  down  on  the  head,  breaking  the  lower  jaw.  The  Elk 
were  turning  in  all  directions,  j^et  I  kej^t  my  eye  on  my 
wounded  bull,  and  flred  again,  breaking  a  fore  leg.  Another 
shot  broke  a  hind  leg.  This  left  him  floundering  in  the 
water.  I  hurried  across,  and  as  I  approached  him,  he 
turned  his  hair  forward  and  made  a  lunge  at  me.  As  his 
lower  jaw  was  broken,  his  mouth  looked  as  large  as  an  alli- 
gator's. I  finally  succeeded  in  killing  him.  I  skinned  him, 
and  took  about  forty  pounds  of  meat;  and  thai,  with  the 
hide,  was  all  I  could  carry. 


ELK-HUNTING  IN  THE   OLYMPIC   MOUNTAINS.  65 

"By  this  time  the  sun  was  nearly  down,  and  I  started 
for  camp.  I  had  just  crossed  back  to  the  other  side  of  tlie 
river  again,  and  had  sat  down  to  rest  near  an  Elk-trail,  in 
an  alder-thicket,  when  I  thought  I  heard  a  light  foot- fall. 
I  could  see  about  twenty  feet  back  on  the  trail,  and  there 
sat  a  hungry-looking  Timber  Wolf.  He  had  struck  my 
trail,  smelt  the  fresh  meat,  and  followed  me.  I  quietly 
iinslung  my  pack,  leveled  my  rifle,  and  shot  him  in  the 
neck.  As  I  took  his  scalp  I  gave  a  good  old  Comanche 
yell;  for  if  there  is  anything  I  like  to  scalp,  it  is  a  Timber 
Wolf  and  a  Cougar. 
The  next  day  I  killed 
six  Timber  Wolves 
around  the  remains 
of  that  Elk,  I  have 
often  killed  two  or 
three  Elk  in  one  day, 
and  could  have  killed 
more,  yet  I  never 
was  on  an  Elk-hunt 
that  I  enjoyed  as  I 
did  that  one. 

"  At  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of 
the  tenth  day,  I  was 
back  to  the  mining- 
camp,  and  found  that  Eik  caif. 
my  partner  had  killed  two  Bears  and  caught  ten  Beavers 
while  I  was  gone." 

And  now  to  relate  another  piece  of  my  own  experience 
in  Wapiti-hunting.  In  the  fall  of  1887 1  went,  with  a  party 
of  friends,  on  a  hunting  expedition  to  a  large  lake  that 
nestles  among  the  pine-clad  foot-hills  beneath  the  shadows 
of  snow-capped  peaks  of  the  Olympic  Mountains,  Washing- 
ton. The  Makah  Indians,  whose  village,  Osette,  stands  at 
the  mouth  of  the  cation  up  which  the  only  trail  to  the  lake 
leads,  guard  this  beautiful  sheet  of  water  with  supersti- 


66  BIG  GAME  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

tious  veneration.  No  white  man  had  ever  before  been  per- 
mitted to  visit  it,  and  it  was  only  by  the  exercise  of  a  great 
deal  of  diplomacy  that  we  were  able  to  overcome  the  objec- 
tions of  the  chief  and  gain  his  consent  to  hunt  on  the  shores 
of  the  lake.  He  finally  consented,  however,  and  sent  three 
of  his  young  men  to  guide  us  in  and  carry  our  camp 
equipage. 

On  arriving  at  the  lake  we  separated,  two  of  our  party 
going  on  one  side,  and  I  on  the  other. 

I  soon  came  to  an  arm  of  the  lake  that  extended  at  least 
two  miles  into  the  woods,  and  that  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
wide.  While  looking  toward  the  opposite  shore,  I  saw  water 
splashed  high  in  the  air,  and  began  to  wonder  if  whales 
inhabited  the  mystic  lake.  Keei)ing  in  the  cover  of  the 
woods  until  I  reached  the  bank  opposite  where  the  disturb- 
ance was,  I  saw  a  band  of  eighteen  Elk,  sixteen  of  them 
standing  in  a  body,  watching  a  terrific  battle  between  two 
large  bulls.  Although  the  lake  was  at  least  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  wide,  I  could  hear  the  clash  of  their  horns  when  they 
rushed  on  each  other.  A  grander  sight  than  these  two 
majestic  forest  monarchs  presented  could  not  be  imagined. 
Whirling  round  and  round  went  the  two  gladiators,  each 
endeavoring  to  find  an  unguarded  point  on  his  adversary's 
side.  When  one  was  off  his  guard,  the  other  would  rush  at 
him,  and  the  report  Avould  come  plainly  to  my  ears.  I 
grew  excited,  and  determined  to  have  a  hand  in  the  fray. 
The  only  way  in  which  I  could  reach  them  was  to  circum- 
vent th-e  lake;  so  I  started  on  a  run  round  the  head  of  it. 

The  beach  afforded  a  sj)lendid  running-ground,  and  I 
lost  no  time  until  I  reached  a  point  within  half  a  mile  of 
the  place  where  I  knew  the  Elk  to  be.  Stopping  a  moment 
to  catch  my  wind,  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  look 
and  see  if  the  Elk  were  still  fighting;  but  the  battle  was 
over,  and  the  defeated  Elk  was  walking  up  the  beach  toward 
me,  roaring  and  bellowing  as  he  came,  while  the  victor  had 
rejoined  his  harem. 

The  conquered  Elk  then  turned  off  the  beach  into  the 
marsh.     As  a  path  led  from  the  beach  to  the  marsh,  from 


ELK-IIUNTING   IN   THE   OLYMPIC    MOUNTAINS.  67 

where  I  stood,  I  started  on  a  run  to  head  him  off.  I 
reached  the  center  of  the  marsh  just  as  he  emerged  from 
the  woods,  not  more  than  one  hundred  yards  distant.  He 
stopped,  and  began  to  bellow  and  paw  up  the  ground;  then 
turned  and  looked  in  the  direction  of  the  herd  he  was  ban- 
ished from  by  his  younger,  stronger,  and  more  active  rival. 
At  last  he  turned  and  came  slowly  up  to  within  thirty 
yards  of  me.  I  fired  five  shots,  each  of  which  took  eifect 
behind  his  shoulder;  but  the  little  44  Winchester,  with 
which  I  was  then  armed,  was  too  light  a  weapon  for  such 
heavy  game,  and  not  until  I  ran  up  and  planted  the  sixth 
ball  at  the  butt  of  his  ear,  did  he  stop.  Then  he  reared  on 
his  hind  legs,  his  horns  looming  up  like  a  email  tree-top, 
and  fell  backward,  driving  them  deeply  into  the  soft  gi'ound. 
My  dog  now  rushed  forward  and  grasped  him  by  the  ear. 
The  bull  tried  to  struggle  to  his  feet,  but  his  imbedded  horns 
held  him  fast,  with  a  twisted  neck.  I  ran  up  to  him,  cut  his 
throat,  and  secured  one  of  the  finest  pairs  of  antlers  I  have 
ever  seen.  This  was  a  large  animal,  and  would  have  weighed 
at  least  eight  hundred  pounds. 

Leaving  the  Elk,  I  went  cautiously  up  the  trail,  and 
found  that  the  others  were  not  alarmed  by  my  firing,  but 
were  standing  in  a  group  near  the  place  where  I  first  saw 
them.  Creeping  up  with  noiseless  step,  and  keeping  behind 
a  large  fir,  I  drew  within  one  hundred  yards  of  them,  and, 
selecting  a  fat  cow,  fired,  and  broke  her  back.  At  the 
report  of  the  rifle  the  herd  started  up  the  beach,  with  their 
long,  swinging  trot,  the  cavalcade  headed  by  the  victor  in 
the  late  unpleasantness.  I  fired  several  shots  at  the  leader 
of  the  band.  He  fell  behind  the  herd,  broke  into  a  clumsy 
gallop,  and  went  crashing  off  into  a  thicket.  That  was  the 
last  I  saw  of  him,  for  the  underbrush  was  so  dense  that  it 
was  imjoossible  to  follow  him  after  he  left  the  beach.  My 
dog  by  this  time  had  the  herd  at  bay,  on  a  point  about  two 
hundred  yards  below.  Reloading  my  magazine  as  I  ran, 
when  I  came  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  confused 
mass  of  Elk  I  fired  a  shot  at  them;  a  yearling  buck  left  the 
group,   rushed  into  the  water,  and  fell  dead.      The  band 


(i8  BIG   (iAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

ran  around  the  bend,  closely  pursued  by  the  dog,  and  in  a 
short  time  I  knew  by  his  barking  that  he  had  them  at  bay 
again. 

Running  in  the  direction  of  where  the  dog  was  barking, 
as  soon  as  I  rounded  the  bend  I  saw  a  beautiful  sight. 
About  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  distant,  three  Elk  were 
in  the  water  up  to  their  knees.  They  were  standing  in  the 
form  of  a  triangle,  with  their  heads  outward,  and  the  dog 
was  circling  around  them.  Their  method  of  protection  was 
comi)lete;  it  was  death  to  the  hound  had  he  dared  to 
venture  within  reach  of  those  horns  or  hoofs.  Raising  the 
sights  of  my  rifle,  I  fired  three  shots,  each  of  which  fortu- 
nately found  vital  spots,  and  the  three  Elk  soon  lay  dead 
in  the  water. 

As  the  majority  of  the  herd  had  run  up  the  Elk-trail 
which  wound,  broad  and  well  defined,  up  the  banks  of  a 
creek  that  emptied  into  the  lake  at  this  point,  I  started  in 
pursuit.  I  had  not  gone  far  when  I  heard  the  dog  barking, 
and  a  few  moments  later  an  Elk  came  rushing  down  the 
trail,  with  the  dog  howling  at  his  heels.  I  sprang  into  the 
bushes,  and  holding  my  rifle  at  my  hip,  fired,  striking  him 
in  the  heart.  He  was  so  near  me  that  the  burning  powder 
singed  the  hair  on  his  side.  After  I  cut  his  throat,  the  dog 
lapped  the  blood,  and  then  started  off  into  the  bushes. 

As  it  was  near  sunset,  I  concluded  not  to  venture  farther 
in  the  woods,  ])ut  to  sit  down  on  a  log  and  rest.  In  a  short 
time  I  imagined  I  could  hear  the  dog  baying  faintly.  The 
sound  gradually  drew  nearer,  and  at  last  I  could  hear  a 
great  crashing  in  the  bushes.  This  finally  ceased,  and  all 
was  still  save  the  distant  baying  of  the  dog.  While  watch- 
ing the  trail  intently,  I  saw  a  large  object  come  swimming 
down  the  creek.  I  stepped  toward  it,  when  it  saw  me, 
turned,  swam  to  the  other  side,  and  began  to  ascend  the 
bank.  This  proved  to  l)e  another  Elk.  and  with  three  tell- 
ing shots  I  lirought  it  down. 

I  now  walked  down  the  lake,  and  on  rounding  a  bend  in 
the  shore  saw  a  camp-fire  blazing,  half  a  mile  below.  I  went 
to  it.  and  found  my  friends  l)ivouacked  for  the  night.  They 


ELK-IIUNTING   IJS^   THE   OLYMPIC    MOUNTAINS. 


69 


had  also  been  fortunate  enough  to  kill  three  Elk.  We  had 
no  desire  to  kill  more,  and  early  the  next  morning  dis- 
patched a  runneF  to  the  Indian  village  for  men  to  come  and 
carry  in  the  meat. 

AVliile  we  were  engaged  in  skinning  and  quartering  the 
game,  toward  noon  a  shout  heralded  the  approach  of  a 
platoon  of  dusky  packers,  and  before  sundown  we  were  at 
the  village  Avith  all  our  trophies.  We  gave  the  natives 
nearly  all  the  meat,  we  reserving  but  a  small  quantity  of 
that,  together  with  the  heads  and  skins. 


THE  WAPITI  {Cervus  Canadensis). 


By  Wah-bah-mi-mi. 


ROWNED  kiug  of  hill  and  woodland  green ! 

With  horns  branching  wide,    - 
In  majesty  he  bounds  along, 

Peerless  in  antler'd  pride ! 
He  stands  in  beauty  all  alone, 

"The  monarch  of  the  glen " — 
A  giant,  dwarfing  into  naught 

The  lordliest  stag  of  ten. 

The  Elk  of  Scandinavia's  hills, 

His  congener,  the  Moose, 
The  graceful  red  Virginia  Deer, 

The  Sambur  and  the  Euse, 
The  gentle,  smooth-horned  Caribou, 

The  Reindeer,  tame  or  free, 
The  Fallow,  nor  the  Axis-buck, 

Can  match  the  Wapiti ! 

The  springing  Black-tail  of  the  wood, 

The  White-tail  of  the  plain. 
The  Mule-Deer  and  tall  forest  stag, 

May  flaunt  their  forms  in  vain — 
Rusa,  Taramlus,  liusince, 

Alce.8  and  Rangifer, 
Sink  into  insignificance 

Before  this  conqueror. 

On  Ottawa's  shores  he  roamed  of  old. 

Before  the  white  man  came. 
To  cut  the  shadowy  forests  down, 

And  frighten  back  the  game. 
He's  going,  like  the  Indian  race. 

Toward  the  setting  sun. 
And  yet  he  finds  no  resting-place 

From  the  hunter's  deadly  gun. 
C71J 


72 


BIG   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 


The  plowshare  turns  up  his  horns- 
Grand  relics  of  the  past ! — 

Coeval  with  the  mighty  trees 
Which  bent  beneath  the  blast; 

Coeval  with  the  stately  tribes 
Which  trod  the  Ottawa's  shore, 

Who,  with  our  fading  forests, 
Shall  soon  be  seen  no  more. 


THE  CARIBOU. 


By  "William  Pittman  Lett  ( "  Algonquin  " ). 


BPHE  Woodland  Caribou  {liangifer  Tarandus)  is  simi- 
lar, in  generic  character  and  form,  to  the  Barren- 
ground  Caribou,  but  averages  nearly  twice  as  large, 
^^  and  has  shorter  and  stouter  horns  in  proportion  to 
its  size.  It  inhabits  Labrador  and  ^N'orthern  Canada,  and 
thence  may  be  found  south  to  Nova  Scotia,  New  Bruns- 
wick, and  Newfoundland,  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of 
Maine,  and  Lower  Canada  on  both  sides  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence; thence  westerly,  in  the  country  north  of  Quebec,  to 
the  vicinity  of  Lake  Superior.  It  never  migrates  toward 
the  north  in  summer,  as  is  the  habit  of  the  Tarandus 
Arcticus,  but  makes  its  migration  in  a  southerly  direc- 
tion. In  this  particular  it  acts  in  a  manner  directly  oppo- 
site to  the  course  pursued  by  the  smaller  species. 

Following  is  the  description  given  of  this  Deer  by  Audu- 
bon: 

Larger  and  less  graceful  than  the  common  American  Deer.  Body  short 
and  heavy;  neck  stout;  hoofs  thin  and  flattened,  broad  and  spreading,  exca- 
vated or  concave  beneath;  accessory  hoofs  hirge  and  thin;  legs  short;  no  gland- 
ular opening,  and  scarcely  a  perceptible  inner  tuft  on  the  hind  legs;  nose 
somewhat  like  that  of  a  cow,  but  fully  covered  with  soft  hairs  of  a  somewhat 
moderate  length;  no  beard,  but  on  the  under  side  of  the  neck  a  line  of  hairs, 
about  four  inches  in  length,  hanging  down  in  a  longitudinal  direction;  ears 
small,  blunt,  and  oval,  thickly  covered  with  hair  on  both  surfaces. 

Horns  one  foot  three  and  a  half  inches  in  height,  slender,  one  with  two  and 
the  other  with  one  prong;  prongs  about  five  inches  long;  hair  soft  and  woolly 
underneath,  the  longer  hairs,  like  those  of  the  Antelope,  crimped  or  waved,  and 
about  one  to  one  and  a  half  inches  long. 

At  the  roots  the  hairs  are  whitish,  becoming  brownish-gray,  and  at  the  tops 
light  dun-gray,  whiter  on  the  neck  than  elsewhere;  nose,  ears,  and  outer  sur- 
face of  legs  brownish ;  a  slight  shade  of  the  same  tinge  behind  the  forelegs. 
Hoofs  black,  and  throat  dull-white;  a  faint  whitisli  patch  on  the  side  of  the 
shoulders;  forehead  brownish-white;  tail  white,  with  a  shade  of  brown  at  the  root 

Cr3) 


74 


ma  GAME  OF   NORTH  AMERICA. 


and  on  the  ■whole upi>er  surface;  outside  of  legs  brown;  a  band  of  wlnte  around 
all  the  legs  adjoining  tlie  hoofs,  and  extending  to  the  small  secondary  hoofs; 
horns  yellowish-brown,  worn  white  in  places. 

This  description  is,  in  tlie  main,  correct.  The  rather 
arbitrary  dimensions  given  of  the  horns  is  scarcely  borne 
out  or  corroborated  by  the  practical  naturalist  known  as 


Woodland  Caribou. 

the  hunter.  The  horns  measured  by  Audubon  for  this 
description  were  probably  those  of  a  female,  which  are 
much  smaller  than  the  antlers  of  the  male.  I  have  two  sets 
of  horns  of  the  Woodland  Caribou,  both  of  which  came 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  Kakabonga  Lake,  above  the  Desert, 
on  tlie  Gatineau  River.  They  are  singularly  dissimilar  in 
ai)pearance,  and,  from  the  size,  I  judge  that  both  belong  to 
male  heads. 


THE   CARIBOU.  75 

I  saw  a  pair  of  Caribou-horns  some  years  ago  which 
were  much  larger,  more  massive  and  wide- spreading,  and 
had  many  more  and  longer  prongs,  than  either  of  these. 
Like  every  other  variety  of  the  genus  CerTiid(B,  the  horns 
of  the  Caribou  are  deciduous.  Caribou  drop  their  horns 
between  the  first  of  January  and  the  end  of  February. 
The  new  horns  then  commence  growing  slowly  until 
the  advent  of  warm  spring  weather,  when  they  shoot  up 
with  amazing  rapidity,  and  reach  their  full  size  by  the 
first  of  September.  They  are  then  covered  with  velvet, 
which  the  animal  gets  rid  of  by  rubbing  them  against 
small  trees.  Both  male  and  female  of  this  sj)ecies  have 
horns.  Those  of  the  female  are  much  finer  and  lighter 
tlian  the  horns  of  the  male.  I  saw,  recently,  a  beauti- 
ful female  Caribou-head,  which  was  killed  in  January, 
and  I  have,  also,  the  head  of  a  fine  doe,  killed  within 
the  month  of  January,  1890,  from  which  the  horns  had 
disappeared,  leaving  the  usual  indications  in  the  skull  that 
tlie  antlers  had  dropped  naturally.  I  shall  refer,  further 
on,  to  the  largest  Woodland  Caribou  ever  killed  in  this 
country,  which  carried  the  grandest  set  of  antlers  I  have 
ever  seen. 

The  height  of  a  full-grown  Woodland  Caribou  is  about 
four  and  a  half  feet,  and  the  weight  of  its  carcass  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  Large  bucks  are  occasion- 
ally met  with  that  weigh  nearly  four  hundred  x^ounds.  The 
food  of  the  Caribou  consists  of  mosses,  lichens,  and  creep- 
ing plants  found  in  the  swamps  in  summer,  and  in  search 
of  which,  and  certain  grasses,  it  paws  up  the  snow  with  its 
broad  hoofs  in  winter.  The  fiesh  when  fat  is  most  deli- 
cious venison;  when  lean,  it  is  dry  and  insipid.  The  Cari- 
bou is  the  fleetest  of  American  Deer.  In  gallox^ing  it  makes 
most  extraordinary  bounds.  As  a  trotter,  the  slow-going 
two-fifteen  horse  that  might  attempt  to  compete  with  him 
would  be  simioly  nowhere. 

Like  his  useful  congener — some  authorities  believe  them 
to  be  of  the  same  species — the  Reindeer  of  Northern 
Europe,  the  Caribou  is  possessed  of  great  powers  of  endur- 


76  BIG  GAME  OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

ance,  many  times  escaping  from  the  Indian  hunters  after 
the  fatigue  and  starvation  inseparable  from  four  or  five 
days  of  a  continued  folloAving-up  hunt.  When  the  hunted 
animal  gets  upon  glare-ice,  over  which  he  can  trot  at  a  rat« 
that  would  double  upon  the  fleetest  skater,  the  hunter  is 
obliged  to  abandon  the  chase. 

The  Caribou  is  a  shy  and  exceedingly  wary  animal,  and 
is  most  difficult  to  still-hunt;  neither  can  he  be  successfully 
hunted  in  deep  snow,  he  being  enabled  to  go  over  its  sur- 
face, upon  his  broad,  flat  hoofs,  like  a  hare.  So  far  as  I 
have  been  able  to  learn,  it  is  only  time  lost  to  attempt  to 
hunt  the  Caribou  with  dogs.  The  hounds  might  follow  the 
scent,  but  they  would  scarcely  ever  be  in  at  the  death,  as  it 
is  a  well-known  fact  that  dogs  can  not  drive  them  to 
water.  They  are,  however,  successfully  still-hunted  by 
Indians,  and  also  by  white  hunters  skilled  in  the  craft. 
Large  numbers  of  them  are  sometimes  slaughtered,  when 
discovered  swimming  across  a  lake  or  river,  in  their  migra- 
tions. I  have  heard  of  fourteen  having  been  killed  by  a 
camp  of  Indians,  as  they  were  crossing  the  River  du 
Lievers,  in  a  few  minutes. 

The  Caribou  is  still  to  be  found  in  considerable  numbers 
on  the  last-named  river  as  close  as  sixty  or  seventy  miles 
from  its  confluence  with  the  Ottawa;  also  on  the  Gatineau 
River  above  the  Desert,  and  in  more  limited  numbers  above 
Pembroke,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Black  River,  and  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Nipissing.  They  are  also  plentiful  on  l)(>th 
sides  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  beyond  Riviere  du  Loup,  below 
Quebec,  and  are  abundant  on  the  northern  shores  of  Lake 
Superior.  I  liave  no  recollection  of  Caribou  having  been 
met  with  in  any  numbers  on  the  south  shores  of  the  Ottawa 
River.  Odd  ones  have  been  occasionally  seen  many  years 
ago.  In  each  of  such  cases  the  animals  had  evidently 
strayed  from  the  north  side,  which  has  always  been  their 
true  and  natural  hal)itat. 

The  skin  of  the  Caribou,  when  tanned,  is  made  into  moc- 
casins, and  in  the  raw  state  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
snow-shoes.     It  is  fine,  thin,  tough,  and  durable.     Frank 


THE   CARIBOU.  77 

Forrester  lias  described  hunting  the  Woodland  Caribou  in 
the  following  terms: 

As  to  its  habits,  while  tlie  Lapland  or  Siberian  Reindeer  is  the  tamest  and 
most  docile  of  its  genus,  the  American  Caribou  is  the  fiercest,  fleetest,  wildest, 
shyest,  and  most  untamable;  so  much  so  that  they  are  rarely  pursued  by  white 
hunters,  or  shot  by  them,  except  through  casual  good  fortune,  Indians  alone 
having  the  patience  and  instinctive  craft  which  enables  them  to  crawl  unseen, 
unsmelt — for  the  nose  of  the  Caribou  can  detect  the  smallest  taint  upon  the  air, 
of  anything  human,  at  least  two  miles  up-wind  of  him — and  unsuspected.  If 
he  takes  alarm,  and  starts  on  the  run,  no  one  dreams  of  pursuing.  As  well 
pursue  the  wind,  of  which  no  man  kuoweth  whence  it  cometh  or  whither  it 
goeth.  Snow-shoes  against  him,  alone,  avail  little;  for,  propped  up  on  the 
broad,  natural  snow-shoes  of  his  long,  elastic  pasterns  and  wide-cleft,  clacking 
hoofs,  lie  shoots  over  the  crust  of  the  deepest  drifts  unbroken,  in  which  the 
lordly  Moose  would  soon  flounder,  shoulder-deep,  if  hard-pressed,  and  the 
graceful  Deer  would  fall  despairing,  and  bleat  in  vain  for  mercy.  But  he,  the 
ship  of  the  winter  wilderness,  outstrips  the  wind  among  his  native  pines  and 
tamaracks — even  as  the  desert  ship,  the  Dromedary,  out-trots  the  red  simoom 
on  the  terrible  Sahara;  and  when  once  started,  may  be  seen  no  more  by  human 
eyes,  nor  run  down  by  the  fleetest  feet  of  men — not  if  they  pursue  him  from 
their  nightly  casual  camps  unwearied,  following  his  trail  by  the  day,  by  the 
week,  by  the  month,  till  a  fresh  snow  effaces  his  tracks  and  leaves  the  hunter 
at  last  as  he  was  at  the  first  of  the  chase,  less  only  the  fatigue,  the  disappoint- 
ment, and  the  folly. 

While  we  have  no  historical  record  of  the  Woodland 
Caribou  ever  having  been  found  in  any  considerable  num- 
bers on  the  south  shore  of  the  Ottawa,  I  think  there  can  be 
little  doubt  of  its  having  been  quite  plentiful  on  the  north 
side  of  the  stream,  within  a  few  miles  of  its  banks,  in  the 
past.  As  mentioned  before,  stray  members  of  the  family 
have  been,  to  my  own  knowledge,  seen  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Ottawa,  one  having  been  killed  at  L' Original  about 
twenty-five  years  ago. 

The  Caribou  migrates  in  herds  of  from  ten,  to  one,  two, 
even  five  hundred;  and  it  is  a  notable  fact  that  a  concealed 
hunter,  with  the  wind  in  his  favor,  if  he  does  not  show 
himself,  has  ammunition  enough,  a  good  rifle,  and  the  man 
behind  it  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  jDlace,  can  slaughter 
a  whole  herd.  Under  ordinary  conditions,  the  Woodland 
Caribou  is  the  most  difficult  to  ai^proach  of  all  the  Deer 
genus;  but  when  accidentally  encountered,  under  circum- 
stances such  as  I  have  mentioned,  the  animals  seem  to  be 


78  hkt  gamp:  of  north  America. 

completely  panic-stricken  and  unable  to  make  any  attempt 
to  escape. 

Respecting  not  only  the  difference  in  size  between  the 
Arctic  and  the  Woodland  Caribou,  but  also  the  great  dif- 
ference in  the  shape  and  weight  of  the  antlers  of  the  two 
sj)ecies,  there  is  much  to  be  said.  The  Barren-ground 
Caril)ou  has  horns  sweeping  backward  with  a  long,  grace- 
ful curve,  usually  Avitli  few  points  except  near  the  summit 
or  crown,  which  bends  forward.  The  antlers  of  this  species 
are  small  in  diameter,  almost  round,  and  uniform  in  thick- 
ness up  to  the  palmation  at  the  crown;  and,  notwithstanding 
their  great  length  and  general  extent,  are  not  much  more 
than  one-half  the  weight  of  those  of  the  Woodland  Caribou. 
The  horns  of  the  Woodland  Caribou  are  shorter  in  the 
beam.  Hatter,  more  massive  in  build,  more  vertical  and 
erect  in  position,  and  very  much  heavier  and  thicker  than 
are  those  of  his  lesser  congener.  Besides,  they  branch  off 
on  both  sides,  a  short  distance  from  the  skull,  or  somewhat 
faintly  defined  burr,  into  extensive  j^almations,  with  many 
points  around  the  upi)er  and  outer  edges. 

In  both  species  the  horns  are  smooth  and  of  a  yellowish- 
brown  color.  In  the  strange  and  almost  grotesque  tortuosi- 
ties of  the  brow-antlers,  they  are  singularly  beautiful  and 
interesting.  In  touching  upon  the  points  of  difference 
between  the  Arctic  and  Woodland  s^^ecies,  I  shall  have 
occasion,  in  a  subsequent  stage  of  my  subject,  to  refer  to 
the  positive  difference  in  the  antlers,  as  being,  in  my 
opinion,  sufficiently  well  defined  to  indicate  a  distinctness 
of  si)e('ies. 

While  on  this  subject,  or  rather  on  that  of  horns,  I  may 
mention  an  incident  related  by  an  old  coyageur  of  the  times 
of  Doctor  Kane,  Captain  Back,  and  Sir  John  Franklin. 
While  traveling  in  the  habitat  of  the  Barren-ground  Caribou, 
he  I'eliites  that  he  found  the  carcasses  of  two  large  bucks  with 
horns  interlocked,  having  becoine  so  while  fighting.  The 
skeletons  only  were  to  be  seen,  the  Wolves  and  Foxes  having 
eaten  all  the  ffesh.  This,  as  the  reader  is  aware,  is  a  com- 
mon occurrence  amongst  every  s[)ecies  of  the  genus  Cerrif/ce. 


THE   CAEIBOU.  79 

Even  tlie  males  of  the  giant  Moose  have  frequent  and 
deadly  combats. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  state  here  that  the  Moose 
has  frequently  been  vanquished  by  the  buck  of  the  Virginia 
species.  The  conflict  soon  ends  when  the  red  buck  is  a 
spike-horn. 

The  Woodland  Caribou,  although  somewhat  more  shy 
and  wary  than  its  smaller  congener  of  the  Arctic  wastes, 
is,  nevertheless,  under  certain  conditions,  a  very  stupid 
animal.  During  the  periodical  migrations  of  a  herd,  they 
are  easily  killed  in  vast  numbers'  by  taking  advantage  of 
the  wind,  and  shooting  them  as  they  pass  along.  They  are, 
also,  frequently  surprised  crossing  rivers  or  lakes  that 
intersect  their  line  of  march,  when  they  become  an  easy 
prey  to  hunters  in  canoes. 

In  winter  they  are  often  seen  upon  the  ice  on  inland 
lakes.  On  such  occasions  they  can  be  easily  shot,  as  referred 
to  elsewhere  in  this  paper,  providing  they  neither  see  nor 
smell  the  hunter.  The  instant,  however,  they  catch  the 
scent  of  their  hidden  foe,*  they  vanish  like,  a  streak  of  light. 
I  have  heard  it  said  by  those  who  have  seen  them  scudding 
over  the  ice,  like  shadows,  that  in  an  incredibly  short  space 
of  time  they  appeared  to  the  naked  eye  not  larger  than  Rab- 
bits. 

They  are  shot  sometimes  at  long  range  by  hunters 
on  the  barren  plains  which  they  frequent,  in  New  Bruns- 
wick, Newfoundland,  the  Province  of  Quebec,  and  other 
places.  By  a  keen  and  careful  hunter,  many  may  be  thus 
killed  out  of  a  herd. 

It  is  much  more  difficult  to  approach  a  single  Wood- 
land Caribou  than  it  is  to  stalk  a  herd.  When  two  or 
three  are  killed  in  a  herd  by  a  concealed  hunter,  the 
remainder  seem  to  become  completely  demoralized,  losing, 
for  the  time  being,  their  natural  instinct  of  self-preserva- 
tion; and  instead  of  fleeing,  as  they  would  from  a  vis- 
ible or  otherwise  perceptible  enemy,  like  a  solid  square 
of  heroes  in  battle,  they  stand  their  ground,  inspired, 
however,  by  a  different  and  unaccountable  impulse,  until 


80  BIG  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

the  last  one  is  shot  down.  Under  the  foregoing  conditions, 
large  numbers  of  these  fine  animals  are,  to  say  the  least, 
wantonly  and  improvidently  slaughtered. 

Let  me  say  here,  by  way  of  digression,  something  with 
which  I  believe  all  true  sportsmen  will  agree,  and  it  is  this: 
In  my  opinion,  especially  in  the  pursuit  of  large  game,  no 
true  si:)ortsman  will  ever  make  a  i:>ractice  of  shooting  merely 
for  count  or  a  large  bag.  Even  in  the  quest  of  feathered 
game,  the  true  sportsman  can  alwa}  s  be  distinguished  from 
the  mere  butcher  who  hunts  for  game  alone,  or  from  him 
who  slaughters  to  win  the  questionable  reputation  attached 
to  the  exterminator  who  boasts  of  being  able  to  kill  a 
greater  number  than  his  more  conscientious  neighbor. 

No  true  sportsman  will  ever  kill  large  numbers  of  either 
large  or  small  game  which  can  not  be  turned  to  necessary 
and  useful  account.  No  true  sportsman  will  kill  a  Bison 
for  his  tongue,  a  Wapiti  for  his  head,  or  a  Moose  for  his 
skin. 

Had  the  hunters  and  Indians  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  for  the^  last  thirty  years,  "been  guided  by  such  rules, 
there  would  be  at  the  present  time,  on  the  Continent  of 
America,  one  million  Buffaloes,  ten  thousand  Waj^iti,  and 
ten  thousand  Moose  for  one  of  each  species  now  existing. 
On  the  part  of  the  governments  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  the  needless  and  lamentable  extermination  of  the 
American  Bison — the  monarch  of  American  game  animals — 
is  nothing  short  of  a  national  crime,  a  national  calamitj^, 
a  national  disgrace. 

Sport  is  si^ort.  It  means  recreation,  exercise,  pure  air, 
health,  and  invigoration;  but  wanton,  thoughtless,  and  rep- 
rehensible slaughter  of  game  ought  to  find  no  record  in 
the  formula  of  action  which  guides  true  and  legitimate 
sportsmen. 

The  Woodland  Caribou  has  sometimes  been  driven  by 
hounds,  as  is  frequently  done  in  the  case  of  the  Virginia 
Deer;  not  usually,  however,  with  the  same  degree  of  suc- 
cess. It  is  Avell  known  by  hunters,  that  when  hunted  by 
dons   the  common   Deer   will   circle  around  the   bush   in 


THE   CARIBOU.  81 

which  they  are  started  a  number  of  times  before  making  off 
for  another  neighborhood,  especially  if  followed  by  a  slow 
hound.  The  Caribou,  on  the  contrary,  when  started  by 
hounds,  steers  straight  away  for  a  run  of  i^erhaps  thirty 
or  forty  miles  l)efore  pausing  for  any  lengtli  of  time. 
Should  the  hunter  be  lucky  enough  to  have  himself  posted 
on  the  line  taken  by  a  herd  of  Caribou  pursued  by  hounds, 
he  may  congratulate  himself  on  the  fact  that  few  sports- 
men can  find  themselves  in  a  more  exciting  position. 

Some  few  years  ago,  a  sporting  friend  of  the  writer,  Mr. 
CaniiDbell  Macnab,  of  Riviere  du  Loui^,  in  the  Province 
of  Quebec,  had  a  rousing  climax  of  exciting  sport  com- 
pressed into  a  few  minutes.  He  had  with  him  a  single 
hound  that  had  been  well  trained  upon  our  common  Deer; 
and  his  master  had  determined,  at  the  first  opportunity,  to 
try  him  on  Caribou.  Having  arrived  on  the  ground,  some 
miles  back  from  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  where  his 
Indian  guide  had  reported  the  presence  of  the  noble  game, 
the  latter  was  sent  out  on  a  large  plain  to  put  out  the  dog. 
Macnab  had  stationed  himself  near  a  gorge  between  the 
hills,  down  which,  if  started,  he  expected  the  Deer  to  run. 

A  few  minutes  after  having  been  cast  loose,  the  good 
dog,  "Curl" — so  called  from  the  twist  of  his  tail— soon 
scented  the  game;  and  forthwith  the  melodious  music  of  his 
tongue,  coming  down  the  ravine,  was  heard,  as,  with  fierce 
howls  and  rapid  strides,  he  followed  in  the  wake  of  nine 
magnificent  bucks,  in  rapid  fiiglit  before  him.  On  they 
came  at  a  swinging  trot,  the  voice  of  stanch  old  Curl 
increasing  in  distinctness  and  volume  at  every  stride.  At 
length,  in  single  file,  headed  by  a  grand  buck  with  wide- 
branching  antlers,  they  burst  upon  the  hunter's  view.  Sud- 
denly, from  the  edge  of  a  thicket,  rose  a  puff  of  smoke, 
followed  by  a  loud  report,  and  the  king  of  the  startled 
herd  fell  in  his  tracks,  as  a  heavy  bullet  from  a  breech- 
loader tore  through  his  shoulder. 

The  remainder  of  the  herd  instantly  became  demoralized. 
Some  of  them  stood  still,  while  others  jumped  about  in  con- 
fusion.    As  rapidly  as  the  rifie  could  be  fired  and  reloaded, 


82  bkt  game  of  nohtii  America. 

the  fusillade  went  on,  until  eiglit  of  the  sx)lenclid  animals 
were  laid  low.  The  ninth,  warned  by  the  tongue  of  the 
approaching  dog,  fled  and  escaped.  The  eight  Deer  were 
killed  in  probably  not  more  than  three  minutes,  from  a  dis- 
tance of  one  hundred  yards,  the  hunter  not  having  had  to 
move  from  the  spot  on  which  he  stood  to  discharge  the  first 
shot. 

While  still-hunting  on  another  occasion,  Macnab  dis- 
covered a  herd  of  about  eighty  Woodland  Caribou  feed- 
ing on  a  large,  open  plain.  After  considerable  strategic 
maneuvering  on  difficult  ground,  he  managed  to  approach 
within  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  herd,  and,  from 
a  well-concealed  covert,  opened  fire.  After  discharging 
three  or  four  shots  fruitlessly,  he  finally  got  the  range,  and 
in  a  short  time  dropped  seven  of  the  largest  bucks,  and 
then  discontinued  firing.  He  assured  me  that  had  he  desired 
slaughter  alone,  and  not  legitimate,  honest  sport,  he  could, 
with  little  difficulty,  have  killed  the  entire  herd,  for  they 
could  not  see  him,  and  so  made  no  effort  to  escape.  In 
accounting  for  his  success,  I  may  say  that  Macnab  is  an  old 
and  expert  target-shot,  who,  with  either  the  shotgun  or  the 
rifle,  takes  rank  as  one  of  the  most  accomplished  sports- 
men in  Canada. 

I  have  never  been  able  to  learn,  from  any  authentic 
source,  that  Caribou,  hunted  by  dogs,  will  take  to  water,  as 
is  the  habit  of  the  Cerous  Vlrghiiaiius.  I  imagine,  how- 
ever, that  when  pursued  by  dogs,  silent  or  otherwise,  they 
will  swim  across  any  river  or  lake  in  tlie  direct  line  of  their 
flight.  Aided  by  their  stout  legs  and  broad,  concave  ho<jfs, 
they  are  rapid  swimmers;  and  from  their  natural  capacity 
for  enduring  cold,  suffer  little,  even  from  protracted  immer- 
sion in  cold  water. 

The  Woodland  Caribou  is  a  large  and  powerful  animal, 
nearly,  if  notcpiite,  double  the  size  of  the  Virginia  Deer,  and 
possessing  great  speed  and  immense  vitality.  It  requires  a 
strong,  paralyzing  shock  to  kill,  suddenly,  such  formidable 
game.  Consequently,  taking  for  granted  the  expertness 
and  nerve  of   the  hunter,  a  repenting-rifle  of   not  smaller 


THE  CARIBOU.  83 

than  fifty  caliber,  carrying  the  maximum  of  powder  and 
lead  compatible  with  the  safety  of  the  arm,  and  also  that 
of  the  man  behind  it,  would  naturally  appear  to  be  the 
proper  arm  for  this  exciting  sport. 

Parker  Gillmore,  a  celebrated  sportsman  and  practical 
exj)erimental  naturalist  of  no  ordinary  ability,  speaking 
of  the  Caribou,  says: 

Although  there  are  upon  the  American  Continent  two  very  distinctly- 
marked  varieties  of  the  Reindeer,  I  can  not  adopt  the  idea  of  many  travelers, 
tliat,  so  conspicuous  is  their  dissimilarity,  they  are  entitled  to  be  considered 
distinct  species. 

We  are  all  aware  that  difference  of  climate,  local  causes,  and  abundance  or 
paucity  of  food,  work  wonderful  alterations  on  animal  life — more  especially  in 
regulating  their  stature;  for  instance,  the  Moose  Deer  of  Labrador  seldom 
exceeds  sixteen  and  a  half  hands,  while  that  of  Xova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick 
has  been  known  to  attain  a  height  of  twenty-one,  or  even  twenty-two,  hands 
{vide  Audubon).  Now,  the  grounds  that  are  taken  for  asserting  that  there  are 
two  species  of  Caribou  are  exactly  the  same,  and  would  equally  justify  the 
decision  that  there  are  two  species  of  Elk.  The  Woodland  Caribou  leads  a 
life  of  comparative  idleness,  among  the  dense  swamps  and  pine-clad  "hills, 
where  food  is  constantly  to  be  found  in  abundance.  The  Barren-ground  Cari- 
bou, on  the  other  hand,  inhabits  the  immense  flats  or  mountain-ridges  close  to 
the  Arctic  Circle,  where  vegetable  growth  is  sparse,  and  little  shelter  is  afforded 
from  the  biting,  cold  winds  and  snows  peculiar  to  so  high  a  latitude.  So  great, 
often,  are  the  straits  the  latter  variety  are  submitted  to  from  the  inhospitable 
nature  of  their  habitat,  that  in  some  districts  they  are  compelled  to  become 
migratory  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of  life.  Is  it,  then,  to  be  wondered  at  that 
thei'e  should  be  a  marked  difference  in  .size  between  the  inhabitant  of  the  .shel- 
tered forest  and  the  wanderer  upon  the  barren  upland  waste? 

While  agreeing  in  the  main  with  the  rationale  of  the 
foregoing  argument,  it  seems  to  me,  nevertheless,  that  the 
existence  of  such  a  i)alpably  marked  difference  in  the 
shai^e',  size,  and  weight  of  the  horns  of  the  two  varieties 
would  naturally  indicate  that  they  are  distinct  and  sejDarate 
species,  each  formed  and  constituted  peculiarly  for  the 
habitat  in  which,  in  the  grand  economy  of  Nature,  it  has 
been  placed.  The  difference  to  me  appears  more  apparent 
than  that  existing  between  the  Wood  Buffalo  and  the  Bison 
of  the  plains. 

The  Arctic  Caribou  has  long,  spreading,  slender  horns, 
specially  formed  for  traveling  upon  the  open  plains 
and  thinly   wooded  hills  of  the  Arctic  Circle;   while  the 


84  BI(i    (iAME   OF   NOirni   AMEHICA. 

liorns  of  tlie  larger  species  are  comparatively  shorter, 
heavier,  thicker,  and  more  palmated.  Sir  John  Kichard- 
son  and  Judge  Caton  are  botli  of  opinion  that  the  two 
kinds  of  American  Reindeer  are  distinct  in  species— an 
oi)inion  superinduced  not  only  from  the  difference  in  size, 
separate  peculiarities  in  the  antlers,  and  marked  dissimi- 
larity in  habits,  but  also  on  account  of  the  absolute 
non-intercourse  between  the  two  varieties,  although  the 
southern  migratory  limit  of  the  one  overlaps  the  northern 
migratory  limit  of  the  other. 

Beyond  even  this,  naturalists  generally  agree  that  the 
food  best  suited  for  the  Barren-ground  Caribou,  of  the 
most  nutritious  quality,  is  abundant  in  its  northeiii  habitat; 
notably  the  Reindeer  moss  and  lichens  which  constitute  its 
staple  diet.  The  migrations  of  the  northern  variety  are 
doubtless  regulated,  as  are  tlie  migrations  of  birds,  by  the 
climate,  and  not  specially  b}'  the  scarcity  of  food.  The 
same  cause  induces  the  periodical  migrations  of  the  Wood- 
land Caribou  northward.  On  this  disputed  point,  I  shall 
close  with  a  quotation  from  Judge  Caton' s  history  of  the 
Barren-ground  Caribou : 

The  statement  of  Doctor  King,  as  quoted  by  Bainl,  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  a  specific  difference  between  the  Barren -ground  and  the  AVoodland 
Caribou,  is  this:  "Tliat  the  Barren-ground  species  is  peculiar,  not  only  in  the 
form  of  its  liver,  but  in  not  possessing  a  receptacle  for  bile."  This  implies, 
certainly,  that  Doctor  King  liad  found,  on  examination,  that  the  V^'oodland 
C'aril)ou  has  the  gall-bladder  attached  to  the  liver.  This  certainly  is  not  so; 
for  the  gall-bladder  is  wanting  in  the  Woodland  Caribou,  as  well  as  in  all  other 
members  of  the  Deer  family,  a  fact  long  since  observeil  and  attested  by  several 
naturalists,  and  often  confirmed  by  critical  examination.  Xotwithstanding 
there  are  many  strong  similitudes  between  our  two  kinds  of  Caribou,  there 
are  numerous  well-authenticated  differences,  which,  when  well  considered,  not 
oidy  ju.stify,  but  compel  us  to  cla.ss  them  as  distinct  species. 

In  a  pai)er  ivad  some  years  ago  l)efore  the  Field  Xatu- 
nilist.s"  Club  of  the  City  of  Ottawa,  on  '"The  Deer  of  the 
OrtJiwa  Valley,"  I  strongly  urged  my  belief  tlitit  theiv  is  a 
diff(M('nce,  not  yet  rationally  ttccounted  for,  between  the 
l)rancliing  and  spike-horned  Deer  of  the  Cernis  Virffiuia- 
?///.v  species.  ]5e  this  as  it  may,  the  distinctness  and  dis- 
.-iitiilarity.  in  many  part icular.s,  l)etween  the  Barren-ground 


THE  CAitiKor.  85 

and  Woodland  Caribou,  are,  in  my  opinion,  sufficiently 
positive  to  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  separate 
and  distinct  species. 

When  pursued  by  hunters,  the  Woodland  Caribou 
almost  invariably  makes  for  a  swamp,  and  follows  the  mar- 
gin in  its  course,  taking  the  water,  and  frequently  ascend- 
ing the  nearest  mountain,  crossing  it  by  a  gorge  or  ravine.  If 
closely  pressed  by  the  hunters — who  occasionally  follow  up 
the  chase  four  or  five  days,  camping  at  night  on  the  trail — 
the  hunted  animal  scales  the  highest  peaks  of  the  mount- 
ains for  security,  when  the  pursuit  becomes  laborious,  and 
the  chances  of  success  very  uncertain. 

On  one  occasion,  two  hunters  followed  a  small  herd  of 
Caribou  constantly  for  an  entire  week,  and  when  com- 
pletely tired  out  they  gave  up  the  chase,  which  was  then 
continued  by  two  other  hunters,  wdio  at  last  succeeded  in 
killing  two  of  the  animals  at  long  range.  Occasionally, 
however,  when  fresh  tracks  are  found,  and  the  hunter  is 
well  skilled  in  his  craft.  Caribou  are  surprised  lying  down 
or  browsing,  and  easily  shot.  When  the  snow  is  not  deep, 
and  the  inland  lakes  are  covered  with  ice  only,  the  animal, 
if  closely  i)ursued,  runs  over  the  ice  with  such  s^oeed  that  it 
is  unable  to  stop  if  struck  with  alarm  by  any  unexpected 
object  presenting  itself  in  front.  It  then  suddenly  squats 
upon  its  haunches,  and  slides  along  the  glare-ice  in  that 
ludicrous  jjosition  until  the  momentum  ceases,  when  it 
jumps  up  again  and  moves  off  in  some  other  direction. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  when  the  Caribou  takes  to  the  ice, 
the  hunter,  if  he  knows  his  game,  always  gives  wp  the 
chase.  Sometimes,  when  the  mouth  and  throat  of  a  fresh- 
killed  Caiibou  are  examined,  they  are  found  filled  with  a 
black-looking  mucus,  resembling  thin  mud.  This  sub- 
stance, however,  is  supposed  to  be  only  a  i)ortion  of  the 
partially  digested  black  mosses  upon  which  it  had  fed, 
probably  forced  ujDward  into  the  throat  and  mouth  in  its 
death-struggles. 

If  the  accounts  given  of  the  speed  and  endurance  of  the 
European  Reindeer  are  correct- -an  animal  to   which  the 


86  BIG  GAME   OF   NOKTII    AMf:RICA. 

Caribou  is  so  closely  allied — then  it  may  be  naturally 
imagined  that  the  hunting  of  this  powerful  animal  must 
be  a  laborious  undertaking. 

Journeys  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  are  said  to  be  a 
common  performance  of  the  domesticated  Reindeer,  and  in 
the  year  1G90,  one  animal  is  affirmed  to  have  drawn  an  offi- 
cer, carrying  important  dispatches,  the  astonishing  dis- 
tance of  eight  hundred  nnles  in  forty-eight  hours. 

By  hunters,  either  white  or  red,  the  Caribou  is  followed 
only  on  those  rare  occasions  when  snow  of  unusual  depth 
is  crusted  over  to  the  point  at  which  it  is  not  sufficiently 
strong  to  support  the  game.  Then  the  toil  is  too  great 
even  for  his  mighty  powers  of  endurance,  and  he  can  be 
run  down  by  men,  on  snow-shoes,  inured  to  the  sport 
and  to  the  hardships  and  privations  of  the  wilderness,  but 
by  such  men  only.  Indians  in  the  Canadian  Provinces,  and 
many  hunters  in  the  Eastern  States,  can  take  and  kee])  his 
trail,  in  suitable  weather,  under  the  conditions  refen-ed  to. 
The  best  time  for  this  mode  of  hunting  is  the  latter  end  of 
February  or  the  beginning  of  March.  The  best  weather  is 
when  a  light,  fresh  snow  of  three  or  four  inches  has  fallen 
on  top  of  deep  drifts,  with  a  crust  underneath  sufficiently 
strong  to  bear  the  weiglit  of  the  hunter  on  his  broad  snow- 
shoes,  enabling  liim  to  follow  the  trail  witli  swiftness  and 
silence.  Then  the  hunters  crawl  around,  silent  and  vigilant, 
always  up-wind,  following  noiselessly  the  well-defined  foot- 
prints of  the  wandering,  pasturing,  wantoning  herd;  judg- 
ing, by  signs,  unmistakable  to  the  veteran  luinter,  uiidis- 
tinguishable  to  the  novice,  of  the  distance  or  i)roximity  of 
the  game,  until  at  length,  as  the  reward  of  patience  and 
perseverance,  they  steal  upon  the  herd  unsuspected,  and 
either  finish  the  hunt  witli  a  sure  shot  and  a  triumphant 
whoop,  or,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  discover  that  the 
game,  from  some  uuimagined  cause,  has  taken  alarm  and 
started  on  the  juni}),  and  so  give  it  up  in  despair.  An 
undoubted  authority  has  said:  "Of  all  wood-craft,  none  is 
so  difficult,  none  requires  so  rare  a  combination  as  tliis,  of 
quickness  of  sight,  wariness  of  tread,  very  instinct  of  the 


THE  CARIBOU.  87 

craft,  and  perfection  of  judgment."  Fortunately,  how- 
ever, the  weather  conditions  that  favor  this  mode  of  hunt- 
ing usually  come  only  within  the  close  season,  so  that  it 
is  seldom  resorted  to  by  the  true  sportsman. 

In  identifying  the  relationshii^  between  the  wild  Rein- 
deer of  EurojDe  and  the  Woodland  CarilDou  of  America, 
Judge  Caton's  admirable  book  is  the  most  precise  and 
exhaustive  treatise  that  I  have  met  with.  To  my  mind,  it 
proves  practically,  from  personal  study  and  careful  exami- 
nation, that  there  exist  many  similarities  and  i^eculiar 
characteristics  in  both  of  these  fine  animals.  The  antlers, 
however,  of  the  American  species  would  appear  to  be  some- 
what heavier  and  more  palmated  than  are  those  of  the  ani- 
mal of  the  Old  World— as  much  more  massive,  at  least,  as 
the  American  Woodland  Caribou  is  larger  and  heavier  than 
his  European  congener. 

Doubtless,  if  turned  to  account,  from  his  great  strength, 
speed,  and  endurance,  the  Woodland  Caribou  of  America 
could  be  domesticated,  and  his  services  made  available  in 
many  ways  advantageous  to  man.  Perhaps  his  inability  to 
endure  the  heat  of  warm  summer  weather  might,  in  some 
degree,  operate  against  the  j^ossibility  of  utilizing  those 
qualities  which,  in  Lapland  and  Greenland,  have  made  the 
Reindeer  so  valuable,  and  even  so  indispensable,  to  the  exist- 
ence of  the  inhabitants  of  those  cold  northern  countries. 

I  have  already  referred  to  the  sj^eed  and  endurance  of 
the  Reindeer  of  Eurojpe,  an  animal  so  closely  allied  to  the 
Woodland  Caribou;  and  from  knowledge  gleaned  from 
authentic  sources,  of  the  speed  and  staying  qualities  of  the 
latter,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  there  is  no  exaggeration 
used  or  intended.  When  the  robust  build,  clean-cut,  bony 
limbs,  and  general  active  make-up  of  the  Woodland  Cari- 
bou are  taken  into  account,  I  find  no  difficulty  in  believing 
that  one  of  those  animals,  in  full  health  and  in  good  travel- 
ing condition,  in  his  wild  state,  could  easily  trot  twenty  or 
twenty-five  miles  an  hour,  and  keep  up  that  rate  of  sj^eed,  on 
favorable  ground,  for  at  least  four  or  five  hours,  or  longer. 
The  great,  lumbering  Moose  is  a  magnificent  trotter,  but  the 


88  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Caribou  could  get  beyond  his  range  of  vision  in  half  an 
hour.  There  cnn  be  no  doubt  that  the  Caribou  is  the  cham- 
pion trotter  of  America. 

The  general  character  of  the  island  of  Newfoundland  is 
that  of  a  rugged  and  barren  country,  with  hills  never  exceed- 
ing one  thousand  feet  in  height.  Large  lakes  and  ponds, 
the  breeding-grounds  of  geese,  gulls,  and  ducks,  are  so 
numerous  that  i)robably  one-eighth  of  the  entire  island  is 
under  water.  The  uneven  surface  of  the  land  is  covered  by 
woods,  marshes,  and  barrens.  The  trees  consist  of  iir,  spruce, 
pine,  juniper,  birch,  witch-hazel,  mountain  ash,  aspen,  and 
alder.  The  marshes  are  as  often  upon  the  sloping  sides  of 
the  hills  as  in  hollows,  the  moisture  being  held  in  suspen- 
sion by  a  deep  coating  of  moss,  which  renders  walking, 
under  a  load,  extremely  laborious.  The  barrens  are  in  many 
places  interspersed  with  large  patches  of  "  tucking-buslies,"" 
or  dwarf  juniper,  which  grow  about  breast-high,  with 
strong  branches  stiffly  interlaced — so  firm  that  you  can 
almost  walk  on  them — and  the  labor  of  struggling  through 
them  beggars  description. 

The  "Betliuk.'"  or  ' * Boeotliic " — the  aboriginal  "Red 
Indians'' — so  named  from  the  Deers  fat  and  red  ochre 
pigments  with  which  they  anointed  their  bodies — are  now 
extinct,  although  the  miles  of  Deer-trap  fences  made  by 
these  j)eople,  and  which  are  still  in  a  fair  state  of  preserva- 
tion, prove  them  to  have  been  numerous  in  the  early  part  of 
the  present  century. 

During  the  summer  months  the  Caribou  are  to  be  found  in 
the  woods  to  the  northward;  but  every  fall  they  migrate,  in 
vast  herds,  to  the  barren  hills  near  the  southern  shore,  where 
the  comx)arative  less  depth  of  snow  and  the  winter  thaws 
enable  them  to  obtain  the  moss  and  lichens  upon  which  they 
chiefly  subsist.  It  was  during  such  migrations  that  the 
Indians  used  to  slay  the  animals  necessary  for  their  Avinter 
use,  as  they  followed  within  the  fences  until  the  outlet  ter- 
minated in  a  lake,  when  the  animals  fell  an  easy  prey  to  the 
arrows  and  spears  of  tlieir  ambushed  and  canoed  foes. 


THE   CARIBOU.  89 

The  reckless  slaughter  of  Caribou  for  sport  only — the  car- 
casses being  left  to  rot  on  the  ground — has  compelled  the 
Government  of  Newfoundland  to  enact  stringent  laws  for 
their  protection;  but  it  is  still  a  grand  country  for  the  true 
sportsman,  as  he  is  certain  to  tind  game  in  abundance  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  countless  lakes  and  streams, 
which  enable  him  to  transport  the  troxjhies  of  the  chase  to 
salt-water  navigation  without  the  fatigue  of  backing  it  for 
miles,  ankle-deep  in  soggy  moss. 

The  following  exciting  sporting  incidents  are  jotted  dow^n 
after  a  bivouac  chat  with  one  of  Canada's  crack  shots 
wdth  a  ritle,  at  either  running  or  living  game.  Few^  per- 
sons, outside  of  the  family  circle,  have  any  knowledge 
of  the  skill  and  experience,  as  a  sportsman,  of  Mr.  Fred- 
eric Newton  Gisborne,  F.  R.  T.  C,  Canada's  widely  known 
engineer  and  electrician — an  experience  gained  in  the 
swamp  glades  of  Central  America,  the  Kangaroo  haunts 
of  Australia,  and  the  barrens  of  Newfoundland  and  Can- 
ada. 

A  remarkable  and  unusually  ponderous  pair  of  Woodland 
Caribou-horns,  now  being  remounted  by  Mr.  Henry,  taxi- 
dermist, of  Ottawa,  happily  obtained  for  the  writer  the  fol- 
lowing brace  of  interesting  anecdotes  connected  wdth  their 
possessor. 

When  crossing  Newfoundland,  in  the  '50s,  Mr.  Gisborne 
was  preparing  to  camp  some  fifty  miles  west  of  the  Bay  of 
Despair,  and  thirty  miles  inland  from  the  southern  coast. 
He  was  accompanied  by  half  a  dozen  men,  among  whom  was 
his  faithful  follower  and  friend,  Joe  Paul,  a  Micmac  Indian 
from  Conn  River.  Paul  was  one  of  Nature's  gentlemen,  a 
grand  hunter,  and  an  intense  admirer  of  his  master's  skill 
with  a  twenty -inch  muzzle-loading  riHe,  of  44  caliber.  Joe's 
keenness  of  sight  w^as  proverbial,  being  almost  equal  in 
power  to  that  of  an  ordinar\^  field-glass. 

"Me  see  one,  tw^o,  three,  four  Caribou! "  exclaimed  Joe, 
gently.  "Come  this  way;"  and  the  binocular  confirmed  his 
statement. 


90  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

They  were  advancing  down  the  side  of  a  hill  fully  two 
miles  distant,  on  a  long,  flat  marsh  interspersed  with 
deep  pools  of  still  water  and  unknown  depths  of  bog  mud. 
The  beaten  I)eer-patli  traversed  the  center  of  the  marsh  and 
skirted  the  edge  of  the  largest  pond.  There  was  no  shelter 
or  cover  of  any  kind,  excepting  a  little  grove  of  dwarf 
spruce,  in  which  was  the  camp,  distant  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  path;  and  when  the  herd  reappeared  upon  the 
marsh,  and  proved  to  be  one  old  stag,  one  live-year-old  stag, 
and  two  does,  Joe  added: 

''  Fine  meat,  white  stag,  but  no  man  can  stalk  him!  " 

Nevertheless,  Mr.  Gisborne  prepared  for  the  attempt, 
desx:)ite  the  half-scornful  look  of  Joe.  Crawling  along  on 
his  stomach,  he  slipped  into  the  ice-cold  water,  feet  first, 
holding  on  to  the  rotten  edge  of  the  bank,  which  was  about 
a  foot  above  the  water;  and  with  his  body  floating,  he 
quietly  slid  his  rifle  along  the  edge,  and  thus  advanced  to 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  Deer-path;  when,  flnding 
himself  chilled  to  the  bone,  he  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
crawled  out  behind  a  slight  rise  in  the  ground  which 
happened  to  be  between  himself  and  the  herd,  then  eight 
hundred  yards  distant,  and  quite  beyond  the  range  of  his 
Lilliputian  rifle.  The  old  stag,  liowever.  sniffed  the  air, 
and  then  walked  gently  down  to  and  around  the  pond;  but 
the  other  animals  sauntered  on,  quietly  feeding,  until  one 
of  the  does  noticed  the  hunter,  who  lay  with  eyes  nearly 
closed,  as  still  as  a  log,  and  at  once  moved  after  the  old 
one;  tlie  second  doe  then  followed  down  the  path.  No 
doubt.  Joe  was  muttering,  "Ah!  Me  say  no  man,  no  Indian, 
can  stalk  that  white  stag!     Now  he  run!"' 

But  the  two  were  running — the  stag,  and  the  hunter 
also,  to  shorten  the  distance  for  a  flying  shot  at  one  hundred 
and  sixty  yards.  Then  came  an  almost  inaudible  crack,  in 
the  intense  excitement  of  the  moment,  and  away  bounded 
the  noble  animal,  with  his  nose  high  in  the  air,  along  the 
pathway. 

'•Oohl"  shouted  Joe.  "Him  hit — mon  Dieu!"  (all  of  the 
Conn  Indians  speak  better  French  than  English)  "him  hit! " 


THE   CARIBOU.  91 

And,  sure  enough,  after  running  several  hundred  yards, 
the  stag  wheeled  round,  ran  back  up  the  marsh,  and  fell 
dead,  with  a  ball  through  his  heart,  within  ten  yards  of 
the  spot  where  he  received  the  fatal  l)ullet. 

"You  all  some  Indian  —  you  '  Waabeck  Albino'" 
{AiLgllce,  "White  Indian"),  said  Joe,  with  his  eyes  on 
fire,  as  he  patted  Gisborne's  wet  shoulders,  with  the  affec- 
tionate pride  of  a  young  maiden  for  a  victorious  lover;  and 
then  both  fell  to  work  cooking  venison  steaks. 

"jSTow,  Joe  Paul  and  Peter  Jeddore,"  said  Mr.  Gis- 
borne's young  bride,  in  the  year  1857,  to  the  devoted 
Indian  servitors  (not  servants),  who  were  again  to  accom- 
pany her  husband  upon  a  mineralogical  surveying  trip  north 
of  Trinity  Bay,  Newfoundland,  ' '  mind  you  bring  me  home 
a  fine  set  of  Caribou-horns."' 

"Suppose  the  Captain  (the  synonym  of  boss  in  New- 
foundland) kill  him,  me  carry  him,"  responded  Joe,  regard- 
ing her  not  too  affectionately,  as  the  worthy  fellow  was  a 
"  wee  bit  "  jealous  of  her  gentle  authority. 

In  due  course  of  time,  one  fine  afternoon  in  SejDtember, 
Gisborne  and  Joe  might  have  been  seen  sitting  on  the  side 
of  a  hill  twelve  miles  inland  from  the  Bay  of  Bulls.  Trinity 
Bay.  Bear-spoors  were  plentiful,  and  Deer-paths  innumer- 
able, but  no  game  in  sight. 

"Suppose  Ave  go  back  to  camp  at  harbor — soon  dark," 
said  Joe.  Standing  erect  on  a  large  boulder,  clean-cut 
against  the  sky-lines,  Joe  gazed  long  and  earnestly  north- 
ward. 

"Caribou  come!"  he  said,  gently;  "come  very  quick — 
believe  frightened;  now  me  see — Wolf  after  him." 

Joe  subsequently  shot  a  fine  buck  that  was  being  cliased 
by  a  Wolf  at  Deer  Harbor,  only  a  few  miles  inland  from  Bay 
of  Bulls,  and  always  insisted  that  the  same  Wolf  iiad  twice 
driven  game  to  their  larder. 

In  a  hollow  beneath  the  hunters  ran  a  stream,  the  banks 
of  which  were  skirted  hy  alder-bushes  and  a  Inroad  strip  of 
juniper  and  spruce  trees  on  either  side;  and  down  the  oppo- 


92  BKf   GAM?:   OF   NORTH   AMERICA 

site  hill-side  rushed  the  Deer  for  cover  at  the  head  of  the 
(Iroke  (Newfoundkind  term  for  grove)  of  timber,  which 
commanded  almost  half  a  mile  down-stream,  and  for  which 
point  Gisborne  ran  "for  all  he  was  worth,"  while  Joe 
started  for  the  upper  end  for  a  chance  shot  if  the  Deer  was 
turned  from  below. 

It  was  a  nip-and-tuck  race;  for,  when  Gisborne  reached 
the  brook  and  proceeded  upward,  the  freshly  splashed 
boulders  proved  that  the  stag  had  been  turned.  Rigid  as 
death,  he  listened  attentively,  awaiting  Joe's  shot— when, 
without  a  moment's  warning,  the  alder-bushes  waved,  and 
the  great  stag  appeared  in  mid-air  as  he  cleared  the  brook 
at  a  bound  and  dashed  into  the  opposite  growth;  but  not 
until  a  ping  from  Gisborne' s  rifle  had  placed  a  bullet  a  little 
behind  his  shoulder,  which  landed  him,  dead  as  venison, 
npon  his  mossy  bier. 

A  few  minutes  later  Joe  waded  down  the  stream,  with  a 
quiet  look  of  exultation  in  his  eye. 

•'  Me  know  you  git  him,"  he  said.  "  Wolf  sit  top  of  hill 
— watch  if  he  come  out — but  he  dead  somewhere.  OliI"  he 
added,  "one  shot — dead!  Xow  Gisborne' s  squaw  say,  'All 
right,  Joe.* " 

What  a  noble  brutel  and  what  magnificent  antlers — fifty- 
four  points!  And  the  horns  are  here  in  Ottawa  to  prove  the 
correctness  of  the  count. 

Now,  however,  came  the  tug  of  war — the  transport  of 
the  carcass  from  the  glen  to  camp.  Joe  was  ill  with  a 
sprained  back,  caused  by  slipping  oif  a  wet  boulder;  but  he 
nobly  bore  the  head  and  hide,  while  Mr.  Gisborne  staggered 
along  under  the  weight  of  the  hind  quarters  in  one  x>it?ce, 
and,  after  innumerable  resting-spells,  ultimately  reached  the 
harbor,  played  out,  but  elated;  and  no  wonder,  his  total 
load,  as  scaled  at  a  store  at  Heart's  Content,  having  been 
one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds.  The  haunch,  which  Mr. 
Gisborne  presented  to  his  friend.  Sir  Alexander  Bannerman, 
Governor  of  Newfoundland,  turned  the  scale  at  sixty-four 
pounds.  It  was  covered  all  over  with  a  coating  of  fat  two 
inches  in  depth. 


i                                                         &^            Mm                                                1 

t^i   i    If  /'    \k 

w 

^1 

bI 

BIG  CARIBOU  HORNS. 


THE   CARIBOU.  98 

The  last-mentioned  Deer  must  have  been  far  above  the 
ordinary  size  and  weight  even  of  Newfoundland  Caribou, 
well-known  to  be  the  largest  in  America.  I  think,  consider- 
ing the  size  and  weight  of  the  horns,  an  illustration  of 
which  is  subjoined,  and  estimating  the  total  weight  by  the 
statements  of  Mr.  Gisborne,  as  well  as  the  weight  of  the 
hide,  that  this  magnificent  animal  would  weigh  at  least 
five  hundred  and  fifty  j)ounds.  The  shooting  of  such  a 
grand  animal  is  an  event  of  never-to-be-forgotten  interest 
and  importance  in  the  career  of  any  sportsman,  and  our 
friend,  Mr.  Gisborne,  is  to  be  congratulated  ui^on  having, 
by  keen  insight  and  true  sporting  patience  and  strategy, 
succeeded  in  laying  low  perhaps  the  largest  Caribou  ever 
killed  in  America. 

On  reading  the  far-back  historj^  of  the  large  game  ani- 
mals of  the  British  maritime  provinces,  one  finds  it  difficult 
to  believe  that  any  number  of  Moose  or  Caribou  can  still  be 
found  near  the  eastern  coast.  The  Micmacs,  or  "Red 
Indians,"  of  Newfoundland,  in  ancient  times  were  in  the 
habit  of  destroying  both  species  for  their  skins  alone,  leav- 
ing the  carcasses — the  finest  venison  in  the  world — to  rot 
where  they  fell,  or  to  be  devoured  by  the  carnivora  of  the 
woods. 

In  Cape  Breton  alone,  the  Indians  destroyed,  in  one 
winter  in  the  olden  time,  five  hundred  Moose,  taking  away 
nothing  but  the  skins.  This  shameful  slaughter  of  Caribou 
was  accomplished  in  the  following  manner:  Brush  fences, 
miles  in  length,  were  constructed  on  each  side  of  their  line 
of  march  in  their  autumnal  migrations.  These  fences 
narrowed  at  a  point  where  there  was  a  lake  or  river  to  be 
crossed,  widening  out  laterally  for  many  miles  through  the 
wilderness.  The  i:)oor  animals  unsuspectingly  passed  along- 
through  this  fatal  defile,  which  ended  at  the  edge  of  the 
water.  The  day,  even  the  hour,  of  their  arrival  was  known 
through  the  agency  of  the  scouts;  and  when  they  entered 
the  water,  they  were  set  upon  by  the  concealed  hunters  in 
force,  in  canoes,  and  hundreds  were  thus  mercilessly  butch- 
ered in  a  few  hours. 


94  BIG  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Although  the  machinery  for  the  enforcement  of  game 
laws,  generally  speaking,  is  miserably  inefficient,  I  am  glad 
to  l>elieve  that  any  such  improvident  and  wanton  destruc- 
tion would  not  be  tolerated  in  any  civilized  part  of  the 
American  Continent  to-day. 

In  tlie  foregoing  sketch  of  the  Caribou — the  Reindeer  of 
America — while  adhering  strictly  to  zoological  facts,  I  have 
endeiivored  to  make  the  p>aper  as  interesting  to  naturalists, 
scientific  and  practical,  as  I  liope  it  may  prove  to  sports- 
men, who  have  had  many  opportunities  of  learning,  amid 
the  wild  haunts  of  our  large  game  animals,  minute  and  use- 
ful particulars  beyond  the  reach  of  the  mere  scientist,  w^hose 
researches  have  been  confined  to  books. 

I  met  recently  with  an  article  classifying  black  and  silver- 
gmy  Foxes  as  distinct  sj)ecies,  as  well  as  distinct  from  the 
large  red  Fox.  which,  if  commonly  accepted  history  is  cor- 
rect, is  not  a  native  of  America,  but  has  descended  from 
English  ancestors,  imported  by  Sir  Guy  Carleton  in  the 
Colonial  period  of  the  United  States,  Avho  had  found  that 
the  small,  grayish-colored  native  Fox  had  neither  the 
speed  nor  endurance  to  hold  his  own  before  a  pack  of  Fox- 
hounds. From  the  fact  that  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago  there  was  a  greater  number  of  black  and  silver-gray 
Foxes  in  the  Canadian  part  of  this  continent  than  red  ones, 
I  was  always  of  the  opinion  that  they  were  distinct  in 
species  from  the  red  variet}'  of  a  later  date. 

My  faith,  however,  in  the  above  theory  met  with  a  some- 
what staggering  shock  a  few  years  ago,  when  a  boy  in  an 
adjacent  township  found  a  pure  black,  a  pronounced  silver- 
gray,  and  four  red  Fox  puppies  in  the  den  of  a  she-Fox  of 
the  real  red  variety.  In  color,  the  tliree  varieties  were  as 
strongly  marked  as  possible.  This  strange  result  may  not, 
however,  shake  the  theory  of  distinctness  of  species;  but 
])Ossibly  might  be  accounted  for — as  such  incidents  are 
explainable — as  dilference  of  color  and  other  peculiarities 
are  accounted  for.  in  the  frequent  antagonisms  existing  in 
one  litter  of  the  young  of  the  canine,  or  rather  domestic  dog, 
species.  The  black  and  silver-gray  alluded  to  were  kept  alive 


THE   CARIBOU. 


95 


until  nearly  full-grown,  and,  when  killed,  they  were  in  all 
points  still  different  and  distinct  in  the  color  of  their  fur. 
Doubtless  there  are  many  peculiarities  relating  to  some  of 
the  Deer  family  yet  to  be  revealed  by  careful  future  investi- 
gation. And  there  is  no  more  valuable  source  from  which 
the  naturalist  may  draw  for  information  than  on  these 
same  simple  dwellers  in  the  forest,  the  men  who  live  by 
hunting  and  by  woodcraft. 

Hitherto,  the  standard  naturalists  of  the  world  have  con- 
tributed.to  the  fund  of  general  information  a  vast  amount  of 
useful  knowledge,  which  will  in  future  be  sui^plemented 
by  many  strange  revelations  which  are  at  present  in  the  vale 
of  m^^stery. 

No  single  writer,  so  far  as  my  researches  have  gone,  has 
devoted  so  much  time,  money,  and  talent  to  the  history  of 
the  Deer  family  as  Judge  John  D.  Caton,  of  Ottawa,  Illinois. 
Few,  if  any,  have  had,  or  rather  made,  such  ample  opi^or- 
tunities  of  studying  and  observing  the  characteristics  of  the 
Cervidce  of  the  world.  In  my  opinion,  no  other  writer  or 
investigator  of  this  most  interesting  group  of  animals  has 
turned  his  grand  opportunities  so  persistently,  x^atiently, 
and  practically  to  such  good  account. 

THE    BARREX-GROUXD    CARIBOU. 

This  animal  is  smaller  than  the  common  Deer  {Cervus 
Vlrginianu-s).  General  color,  clove-brown  in  summer, 
whitish  in  winter.  Inhabits  the  "Barren  Grounds"  and 
Arctic  regions  of  North  America. 

There  are  two  s^Decies  of  Reindeer — commonly  called 
Caribou — in  Xorth  America,  confined  in  their  geographical 
distribution,  to  the  eastern  and  northern  portions  of  the 
continent.  The  Barren-ground  Caribou  is  abundant,  in 
the  summer  season,  in  a  tract  of  barren,  treeless  country 
bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Churchill  River,  on  the  west 
by  the  Great  Slave,  Athabasca,  Wallasten,  and  Deer  Lakes, 
and  the  Coppermine  River,  while  toward  the  north  its 
range  stretches  away  quite  to  the  Polar  Seas.  From  the  cir- 
cumstance of  its  being  the  only  Deer  found  in  this  desolate 


on  BIO    GAME   OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

region,  the  Barren-ground  Caribou  has  derived  its  com- 
monly received  name.  I  extract  the  subjoined  foot-note 
from  "Billings'  Naturalist  and  Geologist,"  to  which  excel- 
lent work  I  am  indebted  for  much  of  the  valuable  informa- 
tion contained  in  this  sketch: 

Note. — The  Reindeer  have  eight  incisors,  or  front  teeth,  in  the  lower 
jaw,  and  twelve  molar,  or  grinding  teeth,  si.x  on  each  side.  Iii  the  upper  jaw 
they  have  no  incisors,  but  two  small  canine  teeth  and  twelve  molars,  si.x  of  the 
latter  and  one  of  the  former  on  each  side. 

71/m//^/«»,  a  Reindeer;  Arctic  us  {Liilin),  Arctic.  In  the  "  Natural  History 
of  New  York,"  this  animal  is  called  Ihingifer  Tarandu-i;  in  Audubon  and 
Bachman's  "Quadrupeds  of  North  America,"  Riirifjifer  Caribou;  b}'  many 
authors,  Cercus  Tairt/idus;  by  theCree  Indians,  Attehk;  by  the  Chippewyans, 
Etthiit;  Eskimos,  Tooktoo;  Greenlauders,  Tukta;  French  Canadians,  Carrebceuf, 
or  Caribou— litaraWy ,  a  "square  o.\." 

This  animal  is  not,  however,  strictly  confined  to  the  ter- 
ritory above  mentioned  as  its  persistent  and  x^erpetual  hab- 
itat. In  the  autumn  it  migrates  toward  the  soutli,  and 
spends  the  winter  in  the  woods;  and  again,  toward  the 
northwest,  it  ranges  nearly  across  the  continent. 

This  is  the  Deer  so  frequently  mentioned  by  the  hardy 
adventurers  who  have  periodically,  and  often  disastrously, 
braved  the  dangers  of  the  Arctic  Seas  in  search  of  the 
northwest  passage.  Its  fiesli  and  skins  have  kept  many 
of  them  from  starvation,  and  furnished  the  most  servicea- 
ble and  appropriate  clothing  to  protect  them  from  the 
intense  cold  of  the  Arctic  regions. 

From  accounts  furnished  by  many  travelers  w^lio  have 
visited  the  Barren  Grounds,  we  learn  that  Tarandus  Arcti- 
cus  is  a  small  Deer,  the  largest,  when  in  the  highest  condi- 
tion, weighing  only  from  ninety  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds,  exclusive  of  the  offal.  In  proportion  to  its  size, 
its  legs  are  shorter  and  stouter  than  those  of  the  common 
Deer,  and  the  nose  and  front  part  of  the  head  resemble 
more  the  head  of  a  cow  than  that  of  any  of  the  more  grace- 
ful members  of  the  genus  CercidiB.  The  horns  are  slender, 
and  palmuted  at  the  crown.  Xear  their  base  they  send  out 
brow-antlers,  sometimes  of  singular  irregularity,  which 
incline  downward  in  front  of  the  forehead,  and  are  flat- 


THE   CARIBOU. 


97 


tened  laterally,  so  that  the  palmated  portion  is  vertical 
before  and  between  the  eyes. 

Both  males  and  females  have  horns,  which  fall  off  and 
are  renewed  annually,  as  in  other  Deer.  The  ears  are 
small  and  oval,  and  are  covered,  externally  and  internally, 
with  thick  hair.  The  feet  are  broad,  Hat,  and  concave 
beneath,  and  well  adapted  for  digging  in  the  snow,  and, 
from  the  sharpness  of  the  outer  edges,  admirably  htted  for 

> 


Barren-Ground  Caribou. 

running  upon  glare-ice.  The  tail  is  of  moderate  length, 
the  hair  in  winter  being  long  and  coarse;  in  summer,  short 
and  smooth.  The  general  color  is  grayish-brown,  with  the 
belly,  inside  of  legs,  and  under  part  of  the  neck,  white. 

According  to  that  eminent  naturalist.  Judge  Caton,  and 
other  celebrated  writers  on  natural  history,  the  Caribou  is  a 
true  Reindeer.     This  fact  has  been  satisfactorily  and  scien- 
tifically proven  by  the  learned  and  experienced  author  of 
►  "The   Antelope  and   Deer  of  America,''    not   only  by  a 

7 


98  BIG   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMEKICA. 

thorough  acquaintance  with  the  North  American  Caribou, 
but  also  by  a  prolonged  sojourn  in  Lapland,  devoted  to  the 
study  of  the  Reindeer  of  the  Old  World  amid  their  native 
ice  and  snow.  Witli  many  writers,  however,  the  point  of 
identity  between  the  Reindeer  of  Europe  and  the  Caribou 
of  America  remains  still  doubtful.  It  has  been  contended 
that,  although  the  Caribou  of  America  is  a  true  Reindeer, 
it  belongs  to  a  distinct  species  from  those  of  the  Old  World, 
although  in  generic  character  and  habits  identical. 

Sir  John  Richardson,  the  celebrated  explorer  of  the 
northern  portions  of  America,  in  his  work  on  the  animals 
of  the  country,  says: 

In  the  month  of  July  the  Caribou  sheds  its  winter  covering,  and  acquires  a 
short  coat  of  hair  of  a  color  composed  of  clove-brown  mingled  willi  deep  red- 
dish and  j-ellowish  brown,  the  under  surface  of  the  neck,  the  belly,  and  the 
inner  sides  of  the  extremities  remaining  white  at  all  seasons.  The  hair  at  first 
is  fine  and  tlexible,  but  as  it  lengthens  it  increases  gradually  in  diameter  at  its 
roots,  becoming  at  the  same  time  white,  soft,  compressible,  and  brittle,  like 
the  hair  of  the  3Ioose.  In  the  course  of  the  winter  the  thickness  of  the  hair  at 
thtlr  roos  becomes  so  great  that  they  are  exceedingly  close,  and  no  longer  lie 
down  smoothly,  but  stand  erect;  and  they  are  then  so  soft  and  tender  below, 
that  the  llexible  colored  tips  are  easily  rubbed  off,  and  the  fur  appears  while, 
especially  on  the  tlanks.  This  occurs  in  a  smaller  degree  on  the  back;  and  on 
the  under  parts  the  hair,  although  it  acquires  length,  remains  more  tlexible 
and  slender  at  its  roots,  and  is  consequently  uot^so  subject  to  break.  Toward 
the  spring,  when  the  Deer  are  tormented  by  the  larae  of  the  gad-fly  making 
their  way  through  the  skin,  they  rub  themselves  against  rocks  until  all  the 
colored  tips  of  the  hair  are  worn  off,  and  their  fur  appears  of  a  soiled  white 
color.* 

The  closeness  of  the  hair  of  the  Caribou,  and  the  lightness  of  the  skin, 
when  properly  dressed,  render  it  the  most  appropriate  article  for  winter  cloth- 
ing in  high  latitudes.  The  skins  of  the  young  Deer  make  the  best  dresses,  and 
they  .should  be  killed  for  that  purpose  in  August  or  September,  as,  after  the 
latter  date,  the  hair  l)ecomes  too  long  and  brittle.  The  prime  parts  of  eight  or 
ten  Deer-skins  make  a  comi)lete  .suit  of  clothing  for  a  grown  person,  which  is 
so  impervious  to  the  cold,  that,  with  the  addition  of  a  blanket  of  the  same 
material,  anyone  so  clothed  may  bivouac  on  the  snow  with  safety,  and  even 
with  comfort,  in  the  most  extreme  cold  of  an  Arctic  winter's  night. 

*  Mr.  Ofjilvic,  Provincial  Land  Surveyor,  of  Ottawa,  who  recently  .si>eut  upward  of  a 
year  surveying  and  taking  observations  for  the  Canadian  Government,  informed  me  that 
while  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory,  when  in  want  of  fresh  meat  for  his  men,  he  has  shot 
many  of  the  Barren-ground  species,  the  skins  of  some  of  which,  killed  in  the  early  part  of 
autumn,  were  ix-rforated  hy  tliose  destnic.tive  insects  so  as  not  only  to  render  them  com- 
pletely useless,  but  also  that  the  animals  so  affected  were  miserably  thin  and  totally  miflt 
for  foo<l.  I  liave  never  noticed,  in  any  Deer  of  the  Virginia  sin-cies,  the  presence  of  warbles, 
as  the  result  of  the  attack  of  parasitic  larva'. 


THE   CARIBOU.  99 

The  Barreu-ground  Caribou,  whicli  migrate  to  tlie  coast  of  the  Arctic  Sea 
in  summer,  retire  in  winter  to  tlie  woods  lying  between  the  sixty-third  and  sixty- 
sixth  degree  of  latitude,  where  they  feed  on  the  long  grass  of  the  swamps. 
About  the  end  of  April,  when  the  partial  melting  of  the  snow  has  softened  the 
cetraricB,  cornicularice.  and  ccromyaH.  which  clothe  the  barren  grounds  like  a 
carpet,  they  make  short  excursions  from  the  woods,  but  return  to  them  when 
the  weather  is  frosty.  In  May  the  females  proceed  toward  the  sea-coast,  and 
toward  the  end  of  June  the  males  are  in  full  march  in  the  same  direction.  At 
that  period  tlie  power  of  the  sun  has  dried  up  the  lichens  on  the  barren  grounds, 
and  the  Caribou  frequent  the  moist  pastures  which  cover  the  bottoms  of  the 
narrow  valleys  on  the  coasts  and  islands  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  where  they  graze 
u|)on  the  sprouting  carices  and  on  the  withered  grass  or  hay  of  the  preceding 
year,  which  is  at  that  period  still  standing  and  retaining  part  of  its  sap.  Their 
spring  journey  is  performed  partly  on  the  snow,  and  partly  after  the  snow  has 
disappeared,  on  the  ice  covering  the  rivers  and  lakes,  which  have  in  general  a 
northerly  direction.  Soon  after  their  arrival  on  the  coast,  the  females  drop 
their  young,  generally  two.  They  commence  their  return  to  the  south  in 
September,  and  reach  the  vicinity  of  the  woods  toward  the  end  of  Octobei', 
where  they  are  joined  by  the  males.  This  journey  takes  place  after  the  snow 
has  fallen,  and  they  scrape  it  away  with  their  feet  to  procure  the  lichens,  which 
are  then  tender  and  pulpy,  being  preserved,  moist  and  unfrozen,  by  the  heat 
remaining  in  the  earth.  Except  in  autumn,  the  bulk  of  the  males  and 
females  live  separately;  the  former  retire  deeper  into  the  woods  in  winter, 
while  liertls  of  the  pregnant  does  stay  on  the  skirts  of  the  barren  grounds,  and 
proceed  to  the  coast  very  earlj'  in  the  spring. 

Captain  Parry  saw  Deer  on  ^Melville  Peninsula  as  late  as  the  23d  of  Septem- 
ber, and  the  females,  with  their  fawns,  made  their  first  appearance  on  the  23d 
of  April.  The  males  in  general  do  not  go  so  far  North  as  the  females.  On  the 
coast  of  Hudson's  Bay,  the  Barren-ground  Caribou  migrates  farther  south 
than  those  on  the  Coppermine  or  Mackenzie  Rivers;  but  none  of  them  go  to 
the  southward  of  the  Churchill. 

When  in  condition,  there  is  a  layer  of  fat  deposited  on  the  back  and  rump 
of  the  males  to  tiie  depth  of  two  or  three  inches,  or  more,  immediately  under 
the  skin,  whicli  is  termed  depouiUe  by  the  Canadian  voyageurs,  and  as  an  article 
of  Indian  trade,  is  often  of  more  value  than  all  the  remainder  of  the  carcass. 
The  de})ouill('  is  tliickest  at  the  beginning  of  the  autumn;  it  then  becomes  of  a 
red  color  and  acquires  a  high  flavor,  and  soon  afterward  disappears.  The 
females  at  that  period  are  lean,  but  iu  the  course  of  the  winter  acquire  a  small 
depouiUe,  which  is  exhausted  soon  after  they  drop  their  young. 

The  flesh  of  the  Caribou  is  tender,  and  its  flavor,  when  in  season,  is,  in  my 
opinion,  superior  to  that  of  the  finest  English  venison;  but  when  the  animal  is 
lean,  it  is  insipid — the  dift'erence  between  lean  and  well-fed  Caribou  being 
greater  than  one  can  conceive  who  has  not  had  an  opportunity  of  judging. 
The  lean  meat  fills  the  stomach,  but  never  satisfies  the  appetite,  and  scarcely 
serves  to  recruit  the  strength  when  exhausted  by  labor. 

The  Chippewj'ans,  the  Copper  Indians,  the  Dog-ribs  and  Hare  Indians,  of 
Great  Bear  Lake,  would  be  totally  unable  to  inhabit  their  barren  lands  were  it 


lUO  BIG  gamp:  of  north  ameiuca. 

not  for  the  immense  herds  of  tliis  Deer  that  exist  there.  Of  the  Caribou-horns 
they  form  their  tish  spears  and  liooks,  and,  previous  to  the  ihtroduction  of 
European  iron,  ice-chisels  and  various  other  utensils  were  likewise  made  of 
them. 

The  hunter  breaks  the  leg  bones  of  a  recently  slaughtered  Deer,  and 
while  the  marrow  is  still  warm,  devours  it  with  relish.  The  kidneys,  part  of 
the  intestines— particularly  the  thin  folds  of  the  third  stomach,  or  many-plies — 
are  likewise  occasionally  eaten  when  raw;  and  the  summits  of  the  antlers,  as 
long  as  they  are  soft,  are  also  delicacies  in  a  raw  state. 

The  colon,  or  large  intestine,  is  inverted,  so  as  to  preservo  its  fatt}-  append- 
ages, and  is,  when  either  roasted  or  boiled,  one  of  the  richest  and  most  savory 
morsels  the  country  affords,  either  to  the  native  or  white  resident.  The 
remainder  of  the  intestines,  after  being  cleaned,  are  hung  in  the  smoke  for  a 
few  days,  and  then  bioiled. 

The  .stomach  and  its  contents — termed  by  the  Eskimos  neri'ooks,  and  by 
theGreenlauders  nerrikak  nerriookak — are  also  eaten;  and  it  would  appear  that 
the  lichens  and  other  vegetable  matters  on  which  the  Caribou  feeds  are  more 
easily  digested  by  the  human  stomach  when  they  have  been  mixed  with  the 
salivary  and  gastric  juices  of  a  ruminating  animal,  ^lany  of  the  Indians 
and  Canadian  coyddcurs  pre'er  this  savory  mixture  after  it  has  undergone  a 
degree  of  fermentation,  or  lain  to  season,  as  they  term  it,  for  a  few  days. 

The  blood,  if  mixed  in  proper  proportion  with  a  strong  decoction  of  fat 
meal,  forms,  aftci'  some  nicety  in  the  cooking,  a  rich  soup,  which  is  very  pal- 
atable and  highly  nutritious,  but  difficult  of  digestion. 

When  all  the  .soft  parts  of  the  animal  are  consumed,  the  bones  are  pounded 
small,  and  a  large  quantity  of  marrow  is  extracte<l  from  them  by  boiling.  This 
is  used  in  making  the  bettfer  parts  of  the  mixture  of  dried  meat  and  fat.  which 
is  named  pemmimn,  and  it  is  also  ]ireserved  by  the  young  men  and  women  for 
anointing  the  hair  and  greasing  the  face  on  dress  occa.sious.  The  tongue 
roasted,  when  fresh  or  when  half-dried,  is  a  delicious  morsel. 

When  it  is  neces.sary  to  preserve  Caribou-meat  for  use  at  a  future  period,  it 
is  cut  into  thin  slices  and  dried  over  the  smoke  of  a  fire,  and  then  pounded 
between  two  stones.  This  pounded  meat  is  dry  and  husky  when  eaten 
alone;  but  when  a  (juantity  of  the  black  fat,  or  depouiUe,  of  the  Deer  is  added 
to  it.  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  treats  that  can  be  offered  to  a  resident  in  the  fur 
countries. 

The  Caribou  travel  in  herds  varying  in  number  from  eight  or  ten  to  two 
or  three  hundred,  and  their  daily  excursions  are  generally  toward  the  quarter 
whence  the  wind  blows.  The  Indians  kill  them  with  the  bow  and  arrow  or 
gun,  take  them  in  snares,  or  spear  them  in  crossing  rivers  and  lakes.  The 
Eskimos  also  take  them  in  traps  ingeniously  formed  of  ice  or  snow.  Of  all 
the  Deer  of  North  America,  the  Barren-ground  Caribou  is  the  easiest  to 
approach,  and  they  are  slaughtered  in  the  greatest  numbers.  A  single  family 
of  Indians  will  .sometimes  destroy  two  or  three  hundred  in  a  few  weeks,  and  in 
many  cases  they  are  killed  for  their  tongues  alone. 

This  Deer  is  described  as  of  an  unsuspecting  but  inquisitive  disposition. 
The  northern  hunter,  when   he  sees  a   Caribou   feeding  in   the  open  plain, 


THE   CARIBOU.  101 

approaches  as  near  as  possible  without  being  seen,  then  throws  h'oiself  on  the 
ground,  draws  his  coat  of  skins  over  liis  head,  and  arranges  it  so  as  to 
resemble  somewhat  the  form  of  a  Deer.  He  then  attracts  the  an'raal's  attention 
by  a  loud  bellow.  Urged  on  by  curiosity,  the  silly  Caribou  approaches  to 
examine  the  mysterious  object,  capering  about  and  running  uund  in  circles. 
Meanwhile  the  Indian  lies  perfectl}-  still,  well  knowing  that  liis  prey  will  not 
be  satisfied  until  he  can  get  a  near  view.  When  within  a  shoit  distance,  ten  or 
twenty  yards,  the  hunter  shoots  him  with  an  arrow. 

Before  the  introduction  of  fire-arm.s— which  are  common  at  present 
amongst  nearly  all  the  North  American  'tribes— the  Indians  used  their  bows 
and  arrows,  however  simple  and  rude  in  construction,  with  singular  expertness 
and  deadly  effect. 

■Another  mode  of  capturing  the  Arctic  Caribou  may  be  thus  described,  and 
it  may  be  easily-  imagined  that  the  process  results  in  the  most  extensive  and 
deadly  slaughter:  A  large  inclosure  of  brush,  sometimes  a  mile  in  circum- 
ference, is  constructed,  with  a  narrow  entrance,  situated  upon  one  of  the  most 
frequented  paths  or  runways  of  the  Deer.  "Within  are  a  multitude  of  winding 
lanes  formed  of  the  same  material.  In  these  they  place  a  great  many  snares 
made  of  Deer-skin  thongs  of  great  strength;  and  then  by  various  expedients  the 
hunters  manage  to  drive  a  herd  of  Deer  into  the  inclosure.  The  terrified  ani- 
mals run  about  in  all  directions  through  the  winding  avenues,  become  entangled 
in  the  snares,  and  soon  the  whole  herd  is  killed.  Great  numbers,  it  is  said,  are 
slain  in  this  way;  and  some  families  are  so  successful  that  they  do  not  require 
to  remove  their  tents  more  than  two  or  three  times  in  a  season. 

The  late  Elkanah  Billings,  one  of  the  leading  paleontolo- 
gists of  his  time,  and  a  naturalist  of  distinguished  ability, 
thus  speaks  of  the  Barren-ground  Caribou: 

From  all  the  information  we  have  been  able  to  collect  upon  the  subject,  the 
Tarandus  Arcticus  never  travels  so  far  south  as  Canada,  although  its  near  rela- 
tive, the  Woodland  Caribou,  is  abundant  in  certain  parts  of  the  province  (now 
the  dominion).  Audubon  and  Bachraan  state  that  from  the  "  Barren 
Grounds"  it  ranges  westward  across  the  continent;  and  that  it  is  mentioned  by 
several  authors  as  inhabiting  the  Fox,  or  Aleutian,  Islands. 

At  the  present  day,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  Cari- 
bou, most  likely  the  Arctic  species,  is  quite  abundant  in 
Alaska.     Mr.  Billings  continues: 

It  is  not  found  so  far  to  the  southward  on  the  Pacific  or  the  Atlantic  Coast, 
nor  on  the  Rocky  Mountains  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States.  In  every 
part  of  Arctic  America,  including  tlie  region  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  far  within 
the  Arctic  Circle,  the  Barren-ground  Caribou  is  met  with  in  greater  or  lesser 
abundance. 

I  have  devoted  considerable  space  and  as  much  care  as 
possible  in  the  foregoing  authentic — so  far  as  my  researches 


102  BIG    (iAME   OF    NORTH    A.MKRK    V. 

warrant — description  of  the  characteristic  pecnliarities, 
habits,  habitat,  geographical  distribution,  and  i)liysical  con- 
formation of  the  Barren-ground  Caribou.  I  have  done  this 
for  two  reasons:  First,  because  the  Tdrandiis  Arcticus  is 
one  of  the  most  curious  and  interesting  animals  of  the  entire 
cervine  genus;  and,  secondly,  because  this  beautiful  animal 
is,  perhaps,  the  least  known,  generally  speaking,  of  the 
large  family  of  the  CermcUe.  In  anatomical  structure,  and 
in  all  other  respects,  the  Caribou  of  the  Far  North  is  admi- 
rably adapted  to  the  cold  and  inhospitable  regions  in  which 
he  finds  his  home.  Without  the  Caribou,  the  native  inhab- 
itants indigenous  to  the  frigid  regions  in  which  Nature  has 
fixed  their  congenial  habitat  could  not  exist.  The  pre- 
carious supply  of  Walrus  and  Seals  would  inadequately 
compare  with  the  abundant  provision  found  in  the  Rein- 
deer, an  abundance  which  must  soon  become  limited,  should 
the  unwise  and  improvident  slaughter  to  which  I  have 
referred  be  much  longer  jiermitted  to  (.'ontinue. 

From  the  view  of  a  sportsman  and  a  naturalist,  it  seems 
to  me  that  wise  and  rational  legislation  should  be  made  to 
control  the  Indian,  as  it  does,  or  ought  to  do,  the  white 
man.  Culpable  and  barbarous  extermination  of  large 
game,  which  constitutes  the  glory  of  the  forests  of  any  land, 
is  worse  than  willful  setting  of  tire  to  the  woods.  Society 
should  protect  itself  against  criminals  guilty  of  either  act; 
and  the  law,  with  a  wise,  strong,  an-d  relentless  hand,  should 
protect  the  Indian  against  himself. 

The  Barren-ground  Caribou  is  less  cunning  and  less  wary 
than  any  other  species  of  Deer;  and,  consequently,  when,  as 
shortly  will  be  the  case,  the  iron-horse  plunges  through  the 
frigid  habitat  of  the  Musk-ox  and  the  Tarandus  Arctlcus^ 
and  the  roar  of  the  steam- whistle  startles  the  affrighted 
denizens  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  the  enterprising  sportsman, 
armed  with  the  dead  1 3"  reijeating-ritle,  will  soon  decimate 
the  mighty  herds  which  still  exist,  despite  the  deplorable 
butchery  of  the  Indians  on  the  constituted  highways  of 
their  migrations,  as  well  as  by  means  of  the  pens  already 
described. 


THE   CAKIBOU.  103 

On  tliis  head,  Parker  Gillmore  says: 

Capable  of  resisting  with  comparative  impunity  the  greatest  severity  of 
cold,  they -suffer  severely  from  heat,  to  avoid  which  they  make  two  migrations 
annually  to  the  north  in  summer,  grazing  back  to  the  south  in  winter.  During 
these  journeys  the  greatest  destruction  to  the  species  takes  place,  for  they 
almost  invariably  follow  the  same  line  of  march,  with  which  the  natives 
are  acquainted,  and  where  they  wait  for  the  herd,  either  entering  mountain 
defiles  or  crossing  rivers,  when  they  are  surrounded  and  indiscriminately 
slaughtered.  They  are  also  hunted  on  snow-shoes,  after  the  manner  of  hunting 
the  Moose. 

When  the  time  comes  to  which  I  have  referred  above, 
the  interminable  plains  and  hills  of  the  Arctic  Circle  will, 
by  the  annihilation  of  time  and  space,  be  almost  next  door; 
then  we  shall  have  many  an  interesting  and  thrilling  tale  of 
flood  and  field  for  the  sporting  journals,  to  delight  the  soul 
of  the  sportsman  who  has  neither  the  time  nor  the  money 
to  spare  to  enable  him  to  visit  those,  at  present,  far-off 
fields  of  sport.  We  shall  all  then  become  as  well  acquainted 
with  the  Musk-ox,  the  Polar  Bear,  the  Walrus,  the  Barren- 
'ground  Caribou,  and  the  fields  of  ice  which  glisten  beneath 
the  eternal  splendor  of  the  unsetting  sun,  and  the  distinct 
crackling  of  the  aurora  borealis,  as  we  now  are  with  the 
game  animals  and  birds  of  our  own  country.  Sporting  litera- 
ture, notwithstanding  what  mere  humanitarian  writers  and 
thinkers  may  say  to  the  contrary,  has  an  elevating  and 
humanizing  effect;  and  the  true  sportsman,  wherever  you 
find  him,  in  the  palace  or  in  the  humble  cot,  on  the  mount- 
ain-side or  in  the  vale,  on  land  or  water,  in  the  city  or  amid 
the  glorious  and  sublime  solitudes  of  Nature,  is  ever  and 
always  a  gentleman. 

In  the  country  as  far  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
north  of  the  Ottawa  River,  in  the  unbroken  wilds  of  which 
the  Woodland  Caribou  abounds,  I  know  of  no  authentic 
accounts  of  the  appearance  of  the  Arctic  species.  During 
very  severe  winters,  the  Ptarmigan  comes  southward  to  the 
pine  woods,  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the 
Ottawa.  Many  of  them  are  brought  to  this  city,  and 
mounted  by  taxidermists.  The  wanderer  of  the  Arctic 
Circle  never,  that  I  have  learned  of,  comes  so  near. 


104  BIO   GAME   OF   NOKTII    AMERICA. 

Although  the  European  Stag  and  Scandinav  an  Elk  are 
represented  in  America  by  their  more  ponderous  cousins, 
the  Wapiti  and  the  Moose,  Europe,  or  any  other  jDaEt  of  the 
Old  World,  has  no  parallel  to  our  Barren-ground  Caribou. 
The  Woodland  Caribou,  in  almost  every  point,  is  iden- 
tical'with  the  European  Reindeer;  but  it  would  seem  that  no 
other  part  of  the  world  produces  an  animal  sufficiently 
similar  in  fonn,  size,  and  generic  characteristics  to  our 
Arctic  Caribeu  as  to  warrant  the  determination  of  an 
identity  of  species.  This  I  consider  a  very  strong  argu- 
»ment  in  favor  of  the  very  generally  received  conclusion 
arrived  at  by  distinguished  naturalists,  that  the  Barren- 
ground  Caribou  is  a  distinct  species  of  the  genus  CermdcB. 
Constitutionally  formed  and  fitted  to  inhabit  a  country 
peculiarly  suited  to  his  nature  and  wants,  he  stands,  as  it 
were,  alone,  the  cervine  lord  of  a  territory  as  yet  untrodden 
by  any  other  branch  of  the  great  deciduous-horned  family 
to  which  he  belongs.  The  Mule  Deer  and  the  smaller 
animal,  the  Black-tail,  are  much  more  similar  in  general 
features  than  are  the  two  varieties  of  Caribou,  both  of 
which  differ  from  the  Virginia  Deer,  not  the  least  distinct 
of  such  difference  being  in  the  shape  of  the  antlers  and  the 
style  of  their  growth.  In  the  Virginia  species  the  prongs 
grow  from  the  posterior  side  of  tlie  l)eam,  while  in  the 
antlers  of  the  Mule  and  the  Black-tail  they  spring  from  the 
anterior.  Inhabiting  such  a  distant  and  inhospitable  por- 
tion of  America,  it  is  but  natural  to  conclude  that  tliere  is 
still  much  to  learn  about  this  interesting  member  of  the 
Deer  family.  When  he  shall  have  disappeared  from  the 
fastnesses  of  his  Arctic  habitat  —  if  the  time  shall  ever 
come — the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  that  section  of  America, 
whose  existence  mainly  depends  upon  him.  in  all  huruan 
probability  shall  also  have  disappeared  from  all  but  the 
page  of  history. 

If  I  have  wTitten  one'sentence  upon  any  portion  of  the 
history  of  the  Reindeer  of  America;  if  I  have  been  fort- 
unate enougli  to  be  able  to  contribute  one  thought  which 
is  calculated  to  amuse  or  entertain  my  large  family  of  rela- 


THE   CARIBOU. 


105 


tions — the  sportsmen  of  America;  if  I  have  been  permitted 
to  add  one  well-authenticated  fact  to  the  fascinating  records 
of  this  singularly  interesting  species  of  the  great  family  of 
Deer — I  shall  congratulate  myself  upon  the,  to  me,  gratify- 
ing conclusion  that  I  have  not  been  all  my  life  an  enthusi- 
astic sportsman  in  vain. 

And  now  my  pleasant  task  is  done; 
It  brings  back  many  a  glorious  run, 
Emerging  from  the  lambent  haze 
Which  circles  round  the  camp-fire's  blaze, 
Revealing  to  fond  memory's  eye 
The  dear  departed  scenes  gone  by, 
When  limbs  were  lithe  and  arms  were  strong, 
And  life  one  gladsome  burst  of  song — 
Revealing,  'mid  unfading  sheen, 
The  "  runway  "  in  the  forest  green; 
"  The  antler'd  monarch's  "  springing  bound; 
The  matchless  music  of  the  hound, 
When  headlong  on  the  steaming  scent. 
With  instinct  true  as  steel,  he  went! 
The  gaze  into  the  spreading  track. 
The  breaking  twig,  the  rifle's  crack. 

The  quivering  limb,  the  closing  eye —  ' 

The  forest's  dying  majesty! 


THE  WOODLAND  CARIBOU. 


By  Dk.  II.  B.  Cantbell. 


'^NTIL  a  very  recent  date,  little  could  be  learned  of  the 
real  character  of  the  Caribou  {Rangifer  Caribou), 
and  museums  monopolized  exhibitions  of  stuffed 
yf^  specimens,  with  monographic  descriptions  of  this 
almost  mythical  species  of  the  Deer  family.  Now,  however, 
facts  can  be  multixolied  without  which  it  was  before  impossi- 
ble to  gain  any  scientific  knovvle(ige  of  the  Caribou.  "  When 
doctors  disagree,"  etc.  Even  such  distinguished  naturalists 
as  Audubon  and  Agassiz  collided  on  the  generic  name  of 
the  lordly,  independent  Woodland  Caribou,  that  defied  all 
the  arts  of  man  to  domesticate  or  train  for  any  useful 
purpose,  as  his  congener,  the  European  Reindeer,  is  trained. 
As  Agassiz  only  j)roposed  a  name — Cervus  hastatus — it  was 
not  finally  adopted,  and  Audubon  and  Bachman  requested 
their  subscribers  to  alter  the  name  on  their  x)lates — sj^lendid 
illustrations — to  the  common  name  under  which  the  Caribou 
has  become  known  and  recognized  in  America,  and  that  can 
by  no  possibility  lead  to  any  misax^prebension.  Rang  if er 
Caribou  is  therefore  conceded  by  all  authorities  to  be  the 
most  applicable  to  the  Woodland  Caribou,  and  Rangifer 
Greenlandicus  to  the  Barren-ground  Caribou  of  the  Arctic 
regions.  The  Greenland  Reindeer  is  as  distinct  from  its 
European  cousin  as  is  the  Woodland  Reindeer,  although  he 
is  much  smaller  than  the  Woodland  Caribou;  the  latter 
averaging  in  weight  two  hundred  and  seventy  pounds, 
while  that  of  the  Arctic  brother  is  only  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds. 

In  regard  to  its  boreal  habitat,  the  Caribou  resembles  the 
Moose,  as  well  as  in  its  palmated  antlers,  its  overhanging 
muzzle,  and  the  shape  of  its  foot.     But  the  Moose  has  a 

C  lor ) 


108  BIG  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

large,  coarse,  ugly  ear,  while  the  Caribou  has  the  smallest 
and  shortest  ear  of  all  the  Deer  family.  To  this  fact  the 
trappers  of  the  Maine  woods  attribute  that  acute  sense  of 
heaj'ing  that  enables  the  Caribou  to  detect  the  slightest 
sound,  even  the  rustle  of  a  single  dry  leaf,  and  which  will 
start  iiim  like  an  arrow  from  the  range  of  his  pursuers. 

It  is  difficult  to  assign  limits  to  the  range  of  the  Caribou. 
The  habitat  of  the  Rang  if er  Caribou  has  been  a  mooted 
point  that  can  be  settled  only  by  an  agreement  to  differ  with 
any  rigid  limitation.  Migrating  occasionally  to  the  polar 
regions  of  his  Eskimo  brother,  the  Rangifer  Oreenland- 
icus,  our  Woodland  species  may  be  only  paying  a  cere- 
monious visit,  attracted  by  the  feast  of  Reindeer  moss  there 
so  liberally  spread  out  for  him;  or,  perhaps,  negotiating  for 
reservations  for  future  occupancy,  beyond  the  widening 
hunting-grounds  of  the  dreaded  white  man.  It  is  certain 
that  the  Woodland  is  chiefly  found  about  Hudson's  Bay,  in 
Maine,  and  the  States  bordering  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 

Emmons  considers  it  doubtful  if  the  Caribou  ever  inhab- 
ited Massachusetts;  but  he  has  occasionally  appeared  in  the 
northern  parts  of  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire.  Richard- 
son gives  as  a  northern  limit  the  southern  extremity  of 
Hudson's  Bay,  reaching  as  far  west  as  Lake  Superior,  and 
southerly  to  New  Brunswick  and  Maine. 

Caton  asserts,  contrary  to  most  authorities,  that  west 
of  the  Barren  Grounds  the  range  of  the  Woodland  Caribou 
extends  north  to  the  limits  of  the  continent,  and  that  in  the 
northern  parts  of  Montana  and  Washington,  and  in  British 
Columbia,  they  are  claimed  to  be  still  larger  than  on  the 
Atlantic  Coast.  We  can  not  surmise  any  confusion  as  to 
the  two  families,  Rangifer  Caribou  and  Rangifer  Green- 
landicus^  in  the  mind  of  Caton  after  the  statement  we  have 
made  as  to  the  relative  averages  of  the  weight  of  both 
species.  Besides,  the  frank  confession  of  that  distinguished 
naturalist,  in  his  treatise  on  the  Antilo-capra  and  CermdcB 
of  North  America,  that  he  has  failed  to  domesticate  the 
Caribou,  while  he  has  held  in  captivity  every  other  species 
of  American  Deer,  affords  ground  for  confldence  in  his  state- 


THE   WOODLAND   CARIBOU.  109 

ments  of  what  he  does  know;  and  to  this  author  all  friends 
of  the  Caribou  are  more  indebted  for  facts  than  to  any  other 
recent  writer. 

Like  the  Chameleon,  the  Caribou  changes  color,  to  the 
eyes  of  investigators,  and  this  gives  rise  to  very  amusing 
disputes.  Pallas  describes  it  as  of  a  rich,  glossy  reddish- 
brown  in  summer,  becoming  grizzly  about  head,  neck,  and 
belly  toward  winter;  but  he  declares  it  never  becomes  any- 
thing approaching  to  white!  In  the  face  of  this  statement, 
Audubon  gives  us  a  beautiful  Caribou,  "in  pure  white  and 
brown,"  painted  from  Nature,  and  Caton  says  "the  body  is 
sometimes  nearly  all  white."  For  ocular  demonstration, 
the  contributor  has  only  to  look  at  a  skin  that  affords  a  soft, 
white  couch  for  his  little  daughter,  who  makes  her  annual 
pilgrimage  to  the  haunts  of  the  Caribou  in  the  Maine  woods. 
In  July  and  August  the  Caribou  sheds  its  winter  coat,  and 
we  find  it  with  a  smooth  coat  of  short  hair,  a  mingled  red 
and  yellow  brovk^n,  the  under  surface  of  the  neck  and  belly 
and  the  inner  sides  of  the  extremities  remaining  white  all 
the  year.  During  the  winter  months,  the  hairs  become  so 
thick  and  close  that  they  stand  erect,  and  the  brittle 
colored  points  are  rubbed  off,  leaving  a  soft,  white  fur, 
especially  on  the  flanks.  When  the  gad-fly  makes  its 
appearance,  at  the  close  of  winter,  the  Caribou  rids  himself 
of  his  tormentor,  and  the  remainder  of  his  color-tipped  hair 
at  the  same  time,  by  rubbing  against  rocks  and  stones,  until 
he  becomes  entirely  white,  and  looks  as  spectral  as  a  soiled 
white  fur  will  admit. 

The  horns  are  so  varied  in  shape  that  no  two  samples  can 
be  found  alike,  and  in  no  individual  case  do  the  horns  grow 
into  the  same  shape  or  number  of  prongs  as  in  the  season 
before.  In  both  sexes  there  is  a  remarkable  development 
of  brow-antlers,  which  extend  forward  over  the  forehead. 
The  horns  of  the  Barren -ground  Caribou  are  larger  and 
more  graceful  than  those  of  the  Woodland  Caribou, 
although  he  is  so  much  smaller  im  size.  A  distinguishing 
peculiarity  of  the  Caribou  antler  is  the  great  length  of 
beam  of  the  antler  in  proportion  to  its  thickness.     In  the 


110  BIG   GAME   OF  NORTH    AMERICA. 

adult,  some  of  the  branches  of  the  antlers  are  palmated,  the 
upper  branches  having  posterior  projections.  Almost  inva- 
riably, the  brow-tines  on  one  of  the  antlers  is  broadly 
palmated. 

To  interested  readers,  the  following  dimensions  of  a  pair 
of  antlers  which  the  writer  lately  measured  may  not  be  out 
of  place.  Bearing  in  mind  that  the  horns  in  both  sexes  are 
irregularly  palmated,  bifurcated,  and  rather  long,  we  find 
a  specimen  where  the  two  main  antlers  are  furnished  with 
irregular,  sharp  points,  some  of  them  seven  inches  in  length 
but  most  of  them  quite  short:  Width  between  the  horns, 
on  the  skull,  eight  and  three-fourths  inches;  depth,  one  and 
three- fourths  inches;  length  of  main  beam,  three  feet.  There 
is  a  palmated  brow-antler,  with  four  x)oints,  inclining  down- 
ward and  inward;  on  the  opposite  horn  there  are  two  points, 
but  the  antler  is  not  palmated.  Immediately  above  the 
brow-antlers  there  is  a  branch,  or  prong,  on  each  horn,  about 
fourteen  inches  in  length,  terminatingin  three  points;  these 
prongs  incline  forward  and  inward.  About  half  the  length 
of  the  horn  from  the  skull,  there  is  another  prong  on  each, 
about  two  inches  long;  beyond  these  prongs  each  horn  con- 
tinues about  the  same  thickness,  sjoreading  outward  slightly 
to  within  a  few  inches  of  its  extremity,  where  one  diverges 
into  five  points  and  the  other  into  six.  The  horns  are  but 
slightly  channeled,  and  are  dark  yellow.  Between  the  tips, 
where  they  approach  each  other,  the  horns  are  two  feet 
apart,  and  at  their  greatest  width  two  feet  eight  inches. 

Nature  has  been  so  lavish  in  bestowing  all  this  parure  of 
horn  on  the  favored  Caribou,  that  the  small  ears  can  hardly 
be  criticised.  Five  inches,  posteriorly,  in  height,  flattened, 
very  broad  at  the  base,  and  tapering  to  the  end,  they  are 
less  in  size  than  those  of  tlie  Elk,  but  more  active. 

As  an  offset  to  the  Advantage  of  the  Elk  in  the  size  of 
ears,  the  Caribou  boasts  of  a  somewliat  longer  t.ail.  It  is 
about  four  inches  r«rtehra\  and,  including  hair,  six  and  a 
half  inches  long. 

The  hoof  of  tlie  Woodhind  Caril)()u  gives  it  an  advan- 
tage over  every  pursuer,  except  the  nimble  Wolf.    The  bones 


THE   WOODLAND   CARIBOU.  Ill 

connected  with  the  accessory  hoof  in  the  Caribou  are  more 
than  ten  times  as  large  as  they  are  in  the  common  Deer.  In 
"Forest  Life  in  Arcadie,"  Captain  Hardy's  enthusiastic 
description  reads  as  follows: 

I  can  aver  that  its  foot  is  a  boaiitif  iil  adaptation  to  the  snow-covered  country 
in  which  it  resides,  and  tliat  on  ice  it  lias  naturally  an  advantage  similar  to  that 
obtained  artificially  by  the  skater.  In  winter-time  the  frog  is  entirely  absorbed, 
and  the  edges  of  the  hoof,  now  quite  concave,  grow  out  in  their  sharp  ridges, 
each  division  on  the  under  surface  presenting  the  appearance  of  a  huge 
mussel-shell.  The  frog  is  absorbed  by  the  latter  end  of  November,  when  the 
lakes  are  frozen;  the  shell  grows  with  great  rapidity,  and  the  frog  does  not  fill 
up  again  till  spring,  when  the  antlers  bud  out.  With  this  singular  conforma- 
tion of  tiie  foot,  its  great  lateral  spread,  and  the  additional  assistance  afforded 
in  maintaining  a  foot-hold  on  slippery  surfaces  by  the  long,  stiff  bristles  which 
grow  downward  from  the  fetlock,  curving  upward  underneath  between  the 
divisions,  the  Caribou  is  enabled  to  proceed  over  crusted  snow,  to  cross  frozen 
lakes,  or  ascend  ic}'  precipices  with  an  ease  which  places  him  beyond  the  reach 
of  all  pursuers. 

When  startled,  the  Caribou' s  gait  is  like  that  of  the  Moose 
— a  long,  steady  trot,  breaking  into  a  brisk  walk.  Some- 
times he  gallops,  and  when  suddenly  frightened  or  pro- 
voked, will  bound  a  distance  of  twenty  feet.  In  thib 
connection,  an  amusing  incident  occurs  to  mind.  John 
Danforth  is  the  proprietor  of  Camp  Caribou,  on  Parma- 
chene  Lake,  in  the  Maine  woods.  Having  been  teased  by 
trappers  and  guides  about  his  neglecting  fine  opportunities 
to  train  the  Caribou,  Mr.  Danforth  trapped  two  fine  ani- 
mals, and,  before  his  admiring  assistant  guide,  proceeded  to 
attach  a  rein,  in  the  sha^^e  of  a  lasso,  to  one  of  the 
untamed  creatures.  Unfortunately  for  the  courageous 
trainer,  the  Caribou  determined  to  reverse  the  order  of 
things,  and  teach  his  presuming  tutor  the  lesson  that  what 
we  aim  at  is  not  always  obtained,  when  we  aim  for  the  sake 
of  what  we  get,  and  slipping  the  lasso  to  his  flanks,  he 
made  a  bound  of  some  twenty  feet,  carrying  his  trainer, 
like  the  tail  of  a  kite,  in  a  straight  line  after  hiiu.  and 
dropping  him  only  to  make  another  leap.  Finding  his  tor- 
mentor still  holding  on  to  him,  a  third  bound  finished  the 
performance.  Mr.  Danforth  found  himself  in  such  a  bat- 
tered condition  that  "he  thought  every  bone  in  his  body 


112  BIG  gamp:   of   NOllTII   AMERICA. 

was  broken,"  and  liis  interested  witness  cried  out:  "  Hang 
on,  John,  hang  on,''  until  the  final  catastrophe,  when  he 
was  rolling  on  the  ground  in  a  lit  of  laughter,  and  pausing 
at  intervals  to  say,  "Oh,  John,  how  your  eyes  stuck  out!" 

Mr,  Banforth  has  a  number  of  fine  specimens  of  mounted 
Caribou-heads. 

All  attempts  to  transport  the  Caribou  across  the  Atlantic 
have  failed.  They  have  invariably  died  on  the  voyage. 
Some  attribute  their  deaths  to  lack  of  Reindeer  moss. 

Like  all  the  OervildcB  family,  the  Caribou  is  very  waxy, 
and  frequents  marshy  places,  dense  forests,  or  high,  rocky 
hills  which  are  difficult  of  ascent.  He  feeds  on  arboreous 
food,  grasses,  and  aquatic  plants,  and  his  Hesh  is  always 
tender,  though  sometimes  insipid  and  tasteless. 

In  my  estimation,  the  order  of  preference  is,  Moose  first, 
Caril)ou  second,  and  Virginia  Deer  third. 

The  best  time  for  hunting  the  Caribou  is  about  the  middle 
of  December,  and  the  best  arm,  in  my  judgment,  a  Marlin 
or  a  Winchester  repeating-riHe,  with  45-70  cartridge,  which 
I  consider  the  most  killing  cartridge  for  all  large  game. 

As  indicating  the  difficulties  often  encountered  in  hunting 
the  Caribou,  I  will  relate  a  bit  of  my  experience  in  com- 
pany with  one  of  the  best  and  oldest  guides  of  the  Dead 
River  region,  Andrew  Douglas. 

We  left  King  and  Bartlett  Camp,  crossing  three  miles 
over  the  mountains,  and  going  in  a  birch  canoe  more  than  a 
mile  on  Baker's  Pond,  when  we  heard  the  splashing  of  a 
Caribou  in  a  little  bay  masked  in  by  alders,  through  which 
we  could  not  possibly  get  a  shot  or  make  our  way.  The 
Caribou,  alarmed  at  the  unavoidable  sounds  we  made,  fled. 
He  left  immense  tracks  that  could  not  be  mistaken,  and  we 
made  a  second  attempt  to  catch  him  the  next  night.  Again 
we  were  baffled,  though  the  Caribou  was  evidently  feeding 
and  drinking  in  the  same  inclosure.  In  desperation  at  his 
escaping  again,  we  cut  away  the  alders,  and  hoped  to  meet 
our  wary  opponent  in  a  fair  and  open  encounter  the  third 
night;  but  he  anticipated  our  conclusion,  and  did  not  appear 
that  niirht. 


THE  WOODLAND   CARIBOU. 


113 


Often,  when  one  least  expects  to  meet  the  Caribou,  he 
appears.  This  I  experienced  one  night  to  my  great  sur- 
prise. During  my  kist  fall's  trip  to  the  Maine  woods,  I  was 
out  on  Big  Spencer  Pond,  "jacking"  for  Deer.  Througlitlie 
darkness  I  suddenly  discerned  a  light  figure  standing  in 
the  water  up  to  its  middle,  and  a  pair  of  eyes  like  fire-l)alls 
looking  toward  our  silent  boat.  As  it  was  too  late  in  the 
season  for  Deer  to  come  into  the  water,  I  wondered  what 
it  could  be.  A  shot  from  my  Marlin  sent  the  wounded 
animal  flying  from  the  lake,  and  I  was  not  sure  it  was  a 
Caribou  imtil  I  saw  his  tracks  the  next  morning.  I  trailed 
him  a  mile  by  the  blood  before  I  found  him,  and  considered 
myself  in  luck,  as  the  Caribou  has  great  vitality,  and  will 
sometimes  go  five  miles,  after  being  fatally  w^ounded, 
before  stopping. 

A  brief  summary  of  the  points  touched  upon,  must 
form  the  conclusion  of  this  paper:  Summer  pelage,  brown 
and  white;  winter  vesture,  grayish  ash  and  white;  hair, 
soft  and  woolly  underneath,  the  longer  hair  porous  and  brit- 
tle, from  one  to  one  and  a  half  inches  long;  skin,  thin, 
soft,  and  makes  pliable  leather. 


THE  COLUMBIA  BLACK-TAILED  DEER. 


By  Thomas  G.  Fauuell. 


S  the  Virginia  Deer  is  to  the  Eastern  States,  so  is  the 

'W/  Columbia  Black-tailed  Deer  {Cervus  Columhianus) 
I  to  the  Far  West — i.  e.,  the  latter  species  constitutes 
the  common  Deer  of  this  region.  By  the  term  Far 
West  I  refer  to  that  portion  of  North  America  which  lies 
between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

There  are  many  who  suppose  that,  besides  the  Elk,  the 
Black-tailed  Deer  is  the  only  representative  of  the  GeroidGB  to 
be  found  in  this  region,  and  before  I  proceed  further,  I  wish 
to  correct  this  erroneous  impression.  A  person  seeking 
information  regarding  the  varieties,  habits,  and  character- 
istics of  the  game  of  a  certain  region,  is  likely  to  think, 
upon  meeting  with  a  hunter  of  large  experience,  that  from 
him  he  can  gain  all  the  information  desired;  but,  from  my 
own  experience,  I  lind  that  these  people  are  often  unrelia- 
ble, for,  although  honest  in  their  opinions,  they  differ 
greatly.  One  will  make  assertions  which  the  others  will 
most  emj)hatically  contradict,  and  the  only  means  of  arriv- 
ing at  anything  like  a  correct  conclusion  is  to  take  the 
statements  of  large  numbers  of  these  people,  and,  by  com- 
paring these  and  sifting  out  what  appear  to  be  the  most 
logical  and  accurate  of  their  statements,  the  truth  may  be 
arrived  at. 

Some  writers  not  having  followed  this  or  any  other  legiti- 
mate course  of  investigation,  this  region  has  been  robbed  of 
the  credit  due  it  as  the  abode  of  several  species  of  the  Deer 
family. 

The  Moose,  the  grandest  of  this  grand  family,  supposed 
by  many  to  be  found  nowhere  west  of  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains, is  met  with  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  Bitter  Root 

(115) 


110  Bin    <iAM?:   OF    XOKTir    AMERICA. 

Range,  and  along  the  headwater.s  oi'  the  Clear  Water 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  majestic  Columbia.  It  is  also 
found  on  the  Big  Hole  River  and  its  tributaries,  in  Western 
Montana.  The  Mule  Deer  is  also  to  be  found  in  the  same 
region,  as  well  as  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Cascade  Mount- 
ains. Caribou  are  plentiful  in  British  Columbia;  and  in 
Northern  Washington  and  Idaho  there  is  still  another 
member  of  this  interesting  family,  which  is  a  native  of  this 
region,  and  whose  existence  has  been  almost  universally 
overlooked.  It  is  the  White-tailed  Deer  to  which  I  refer. 
This  animal  is  undoubtedly  a  distinct  species,  as  it  is 
smaller,  and  has  a  longer  tail  and  shorter  ears,  than  the 
Black-tail.  In  color  it  is  lighter  than  the  other  Deer,  and 
it  usually  inhabits  lower  ground.  So  the  reader  will  see 
that  the  Deer  family  is  well  represented  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  there  being  at  least  six  different  species. 

But  by  far  the  most  common  member  of  this  family,  on 
the  Pacific  Slope,  is  the  Columbia  Black-tailed  Deer,  so 
named  because  it  was  first  noticed  by  Lewis  and  Clarke, 
while  they  were  in  the  region  of  the  great  river  of  that 
name.  This  animal  is  to  be  met  with  from  Lower  California 
to  Cook's  Inlet,  in  Alaska.  In  size  he  is  intermediate 
between  the  Mule  Deer  and  the  Virginia  Deer,  for,  although 
no  taller  than  the  latter,  he  is  more  compactly  built.  I 
know  of  a  Black-tailed  buck  having  been  killed  which 
weighed  two  hundred  and  seventy  pounds  after  having  been 
disemboweled,  and  there  are  authentic  reports  of  still  larger 
specimens.  Such  animals  are  rarities,  however,  the  average 
weight  of  a  full-grown  buck  being  from  one  hundred  and 
seventy-live  to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  ])ounds. 

In  summer  the  animal  is  of  a  light  cinnamon  color,  but 
it  is  in  the  late  fall  and  winter  that  it  attains  its  most  beau- 
tiful pelage.  The  color  of  the  animal  at  this  season  is  a 
beautiful  steel-gray  on  the  back  and  sides;  the  throat, 
inside  of  legs,  and  belly  being  white.  The  tip  ol"  the  nose 
is  black,  but  just  back  of  it,  and  on  the  lower  jaw,  the  color 
is  white.  Between  this  and  the  universal  gray  there  is  a 
beautiful  black  band  encircling  the  muzzle.     The  forehead 


THE   COLUMBIA    BLACK-TAILED    DEEK.  117 

and  back  are  slightly  darker  than  the  rest  of  the  body,  and 
the  tail  is  entirely  coveied  with  hair.  The  color  of  this 
appendage  is  white  on  the  nnder  side,  and  black,  or  very 
dark,  above.  In  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  headwaters  of 
tli^  Missouri  River,  the  Mule  Deer  is  frequently  mistaken 
by  hunters  for  the  Black-tail.  This  mistake  is  a  veryj^ar- 
donable  one,  for  the  Mule  Deer  also  sports  some  black  on 
his  tly-disturber,  if  it  may  be  so  designated.  One  of  the 
infallible  })roofs  of  the  distinctiveness  of  the  two  si)ecies, 
is  that  the  tail  of  the  Mule  Deer  is  naked  on  the  under  side, 
while  that  of  the  Black- tail  is,  as  I  have  previously  men- 
tioned, entirely  clothed  with  hair.  In  color,  the  female  is 
almost  identical  with  the  male. 

The  ej'es  of  this  Deer  are  probably  the  most  beautiful  of 
those  of  any  of  the  Cerrldce  of  this  country,  they  being 
large  and  black,  and  possessing  that  soft,  liquid  appear- 
ance associated  with  the  eyes  of  the  Jersey  cow.  Although 
he  can  see  a  great  distance,  and  has  what  may  be  gener- 
ally termed  acute  vision,  his  great  curiosity  often  tempts 
him  to  linger  long  after  he  has  discerned  the  hunter.  In 
mountainous  and  open  countries,  this  fact  is  sometimes 
taken  advantage  of  by  hunters,  who  lure  him  on  to  destruc- 
tion in  a  manner  sinnlar  to  that  in  which  Antelope  are  often 
stalked;  but  let  the  Black-tail  once  scent  the  hunter,  which 
he  can  do  at  almost  twice  as  great  a  distance  as  any  other 
Deer,  and  there  will  l)e  but  little  likelihood  of  his  getting  a 
shot  at  that  })articular  Deer  for  some  time  to  come.  When 
disturbed,  he  goes  off  with  a  bounding  motion,  seemingly 
proud  of  his  steel-spring-like  legs. 

The  antlers  of  a  full-grown  buck  consist  of  two  main 
beams,  which  sx)ring  l)ack\vard  and  upward  from  the  head, 
and  from  each  of  which  spring  from  one  to  six  tines,  accord- 
ing to  the  age  of  the  individual.  The  antlers  of  this  species 
are  not  nearly  as  large  and  majestic  as  those  of  the  Mule 
Deer.  When  a  buck  is  one  year  old  lie  has  two  ''spikes" 
rising  from  his  liead;  when  lie  is  two  years  of  age  these 
spikes  will  each  have  a  branch,  and  when  he  is  three 
years  old  there  will  be  three  pommels  to  each  horn.     After 


118  BKJ   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

V 

this,  tlie  age  of  the  anhnal  can  not  be  reckoned  with  any 
degree  of  certainty.  In  common  with  the  rest  of  the  Deer 
family,  the  horns  of  this  species  are  shed  annually.  In 
the  spring  tlie  horn  becomes  loose  and  droi)S  from  tlie  head, 
and  from  the  same  spot  tlie  new  horn  begins  to  grow,  as  if 
it  had  pushed  the  old  horn  off.  The  buck  immediately 
takes  to  the  thick  brush — usually  to  the  high  mountains — 
there  to  remain  until  his  new  head-ornaments — or  weapons, 
if  you  please — have  attained  their  entire  growth.  This  pro- 
ceeding takes  place  in  the  almost  incredibly  short  time  of 
from  four  to  six  weeks.  By  this  time  the  antlers  are  as 
large  as  they  ever  will  be,  but  are  soft,  and  covered  with 
that  beautiful  brown  substance  known  as  the  velvet.  If 
cut,  the  horn  will  l)leed,  and  if  one  should  kill  a  buck  while 
in  the  velvet,  and  there  should  happen  to  be  any  dogs  about 
camp,  he  will  have  to  keep  a  watch  on  them,  for  the  dogs 
have  a  great  fondness  for  the  soft  horn.  Indians  and  China- 
men are  also  vei-y  fond  of  it. 

While  the  horn  is  in  its  extremely  soft  state,  the  animals 
are  generally  in  i)Oor  condition.  It  does  not  take  them 
long  to  pick  up  what  they  have  lost,  however,  and  by  fall 
they  are  enormously  fat. 

AVhen  the  antlers  are  grown  to  their  entire  size,  the 
animal  seeks  the  ridges  and  elevated  sj^ots,  where  he  may 
be  found  sunning  his  beautiful  head- ornaments.  Under 
this  treatment,  or  from  other  causes,  the  horns  soon  become 
covered  with  creases,  and  api)ear  to  shrink.  They  get  hard, 
and  the  animal  i)roceeds  to  rub  them  against  overhanging 
limbs,  or  the  bodies  of  small  shrubs,  thus  removing  the 
velvet.  The  antlers  do  not  become  perfect  until  fall,  when 
the  velvet  is  entirely  removed,  and  the  horn  is  hard  and 
highly  x>olislied. 

The  rutting-season  occurs  in  October  and  November,  and 
at  this  season  the  actions  of  the  bucks  are  very  peculiar,  not 
to  say  ludicrous.  Their  necks  swell  to  a  large  size,  so  that 
the  hitherto  loose  skin  of  the  same  becomes  actually  tight. 
With  bulging  eyes  and  wide-spread  legs,  they  plunge 
through  the  forest  as  if  i)ossessed  of  an  unclean  spirit.     It 


THE   COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED   DEER.  119 

is  a  well-known  fact  that  at  this  season  of  the  year  they 
seem  to  lose  almost  all  sense  of  fear,  hardly  noticing  even  a 
hunter  when  they  meet  him,  or,  if  they  should  do  so, 
plainly  showing  that  they  would  almost  as  soon  fight  as 
flee.  During  this  season,  the  bucks  have  terrific  combats 
among  themselves,  during  which  they  sometimes  get  their 
horns  interlocked,  in  which  case  both  animals  i)erish 
miserably. 

The  venison  of  a  buck  during  the  rutting-season  is 
tough,  and  has  a  strong,  disagreeable  flavor.  After  the 
buck  has  won  for  himself  a  mate,  the  two  animals  may  be 
found  together  until  the  fawns  are  born,  which  event 
occurs  during  the  following  spring.  A  doe  of  this  s^^ecies 
generally  has  two,  but  sometimes  three,  most  beautifully 
spotted  fawns.  The  spots  are  almost  white,  and  remain  on 
the  young  animals  until  they  are  about  five  months  old. 

The  buck  takes  but  little  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his 
offspring,  but  the  doe  is  a  devoted  mother.  When  sur- 
prised in  company  with  her  fawns,  there  is  a  general 
scattering,  but  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  mother  will  be 
seen  timidly  returning,  to  find  out  how  her  young  are 
faring.  The  hunter  who  takes  advantage  of  the  mother's 
devotion  must  be  hungry  indeed,  or  else  possessed  of 
an  inhuman  desire  to  slaughter.  The  killing  of  spotted 
fawns  is  forbidden  by  the  laws  of  most  States,  but  this  does 
not  prevent  the  killing  of  a  great  many  of  them  by  Wild- 
cats, Panthers,  Wolves,  and  other  beasts  of  prey. 

In  mountainous  countries,  where  the  snow  falls  to  a 
great  depth  during  the  winter,  the  Black-tailed  Deer  form 
yards,  as  do  the  Elk  and  Moose.  This  term  applies  to  a 
tract  of  country  which  is  selected  by  the  animals  on 
account  of  the  abundance  of  food,  in  the  form  of  deciduous 
trees,  mosses,  and  lichens,  that  is  to  be  found  there,  and 
in  which  a  large  number  of  Deer  make  their  headquarters 
during  the  entire  winter. 

It  is  in  such  a  jDlace,  and  under  such  circumstances,  that 
the  ruthless  Indian  gets  in  his  deadly  work.  In  the  Bitter 
Root  and  Coeur  d'Alene  Mountains,   where   Indians  are 


120  Bl(4   (iAME   OV   NORTH   AMERICA. 

numerous,  they  gather  together  every  winter  for  a  great 
annual  slaughter.  With  snow-shoes  and  rei)eating-tifles, 
they  will  swooj)  down  on  a  Deer-yard,  and  before  the 
affrighted  animals  can  escape  through  the  deep  drifts, 
many  of  them  will  be  stretched  out  on  the  snow.  Their 
llesh  is  cut  into  strips,  and  converted  into  jerked  venison. 
One  of  the  localities  where  the  Black-tail  are  found  in 
the  greatest  abundance  is  in  Southern  Oregon,  among  the 
foot-hills  of  the  Siskiyou  Mountains,,  Here  the  country  is 
largely  timbered  with  huge  pines,  with  but  little  under- 
brush, which  makes  hunting  easy,  and  the  recollections  of 
the  evils  that  have  been  perpetrated  in  this  fair  region,  by 
the  skin-hunter  and  jerked-venison  fiend,  are  enough  to 
chill  the  blood  of  any  lover  of  the  CervldcB.  These  skin- 
hunters  are  about  as  mean  a  set  of  scoundrels  as  ever  went 
unhung.  A  couple  of  these  sneaking  apologies  for  men, 
who  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  country,  and  well 
anned,  will  start  out,  and,  will,  in  a  single  day,  kill  and  skin 
a  dozen,  and  sometimes  two  dozen,  Deer.  The  hides  onlj^  are 
taken,  the  carcasses  being  left  to  form  food  for  birds  and 
animals  of  prey.  The  jerked-venison  fellow  is  one  degree 
higher  than  the  skin-hunter,  for  he  saveg  the  hams  also, 
which  he  cures  and  sends  to  market.  I  have  known  a  single 
shooter — I  can  not  call  him  hunter,  much  less  sportsman — to 
sit  on  a  ridge  which  commanded  a  couple  of  ravines,  and  in 
a  single  evening  shoot  down  fourteen  Black-tailed  Deer  as 
they  came  down  to  the  creek  to  drink.  Thanks  to  our 
sportsmen's  clubs,  these  matters  are  being  looked  into,  and 
the  evils  somewhat  abated. 

As  Black-tailed  Deer  inhabit  almost  all  kinds  of  country, 
they  are  hunted  in  different  manners.  Still-hunting  is 
doubtless  the  most  humane  and  sportsmanlike  manner  of 
hunting  them,  but  some  gentlemen,  who  are  undoubtedly 
sportsmen,  insist  upon  x^irsuing  them  with  hounds.  The 
only  instance  in  which  this  is  excusable  is  where  the  brush 
is  very  dense  and  the  game  scarce,  for,  as  a  bounder  ex- 
l)lained  to  me,  one  might,  under  such  circumstances,  still- 


THE   COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED   DEER.  131 

hunt  a  week  and  never  catch  sight  of  a  Deer,  Their  sense 
of  hearing  and  smell  is  so  acute  that  they  will  discover  the 
hunter  long  before  he  susj)ects  the  presence  of  the  game. 

When  chased  by  hounds,  they  will  take  to  water  to  throw 
off  the  dogs;  but  this  they  do  not  do  as  readily  as  do  the  Vir- 
ginia and  White-tailed  Deer.  They  seem  to  prefer  leading  the 
hounds  awhile  before  resorting  to  this  their  last  expedient. 
Hounding  undoubtedly  has  a  bad  effect  on  any  species  of 
Deer,  for  the  sight  .and  sound  of  dogs  pursuing  them 
frightens  them  so  that  they  frequently  desert  a  section 
entirely  when  they  are  persistently  hounded.  Another  bad 
feature  about  this  sport  is  that,  in  a  country  where  hound- 
ing is  carried  on  to  any  great  extent,  the  ranchmen  or 
farmers  soon  learn  what  the  music  of  the  hounds  means, 
and  upon  hearing  them  they  immediately  repair  to  the 
nearest  runway,  shotgun  in  hand.  The  reader  will  doubt- 
less understand  the  difficulty  the  Deer  will  experience,  in 
such  a  case,  in  getting  through  the  line  of  pickets  which  soon 
encircles  it. 

The  venison  of  an  animal  which  has  been  running  at  its 
highest  speed  for  two  or  three  hours  must,  of  necessity,  be 
far  inferior  to  that  of  an  animal  wliicli  meets  death  in  a 
milder  manner.  I  have  known  a  man  to  take  great  pride  in 
telling  how  his  dogs,  which  were  part  Blood-hound,  and 
which  were  allowed  to  run  freely  in  the  woods,  would  take 
the  track  of  a  Deer  or  an  Elk  and  run  the  animal  to  death. 

But  there  are  certain  circumstances  under  which  I  can 
see  nothing  unsportsmanlike  in  hounding  Deer.  Let  us  take 
the  following  as  an  instance:  A  party  of  gentlemen,  worn 
out  with  the  cares  of  business,  decide  to  take  a  day  in  the 
woods.  Hounds  are  procured,  and  they  repair  to  some  part 
of  the  country  which  is  but  little  settled,  and  where  Deer 
are  to  be  found.  The  stands  are  taken  and  the  dogs  put 
out.  They  take  the  track  of  a  Deer,  and  away  they  go. 
Probably  for  an  hour  or  so  the  hunter  has  nothing  to  do  but 
smoke  his  pipe,  keep  his  eyes  open,  and  commune  with 
Nature.  Seated  on  a  .moss-covered  log.  with  his  gun  by  his 
side,  he  watches  the  antics  of  the  birds  and  squirrels,  which 


122  BIG   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

are  not  long  in  iinding  him  out.  Presently  he  involuntarily 
checks  his  hand  as  it  has  almost  conveyed  his  pipe  to  his 
mouth.  Hark !  What  was  that  sound  '"i  He  holds  his 
breath,  and  listens.  The  far-away  baying  of  a  hound  causes 
him  to  jump  to  his  feet,  rifle  in  hand,  and  his  heart  in  his 
throat.  Nearer  and  nearer  comes  the  incomparable  music 
of  the  hounds,  now  rising  to  the  crest  of  a  hill,  now  sinking 
into  a  valley.  Louder  and  louder  it  rings  out  in  the  still 
forest,  for  the  birds  and  squirrels  a^re  quiet  now.  H  the 
hunter  has  an  ear  for  music,  the  inimitable  voices  of  the 
dogs  make  his  blood  tingle  and  his  hair  almost  stand  on 
end. 

Suddenly,  with  a  rattle  and  a  bound,  a  magnificent  buck 
dashes  down  the  path.  The  rifle  is  thrown  to  the  shoulder, 
and  the  trigger  pressed.  Perhaps  the  hunter  has  the  satis- 
faction of  seeing  his  game  tumble  end  over  end;  perhaps  he 
sees  his  black-and-Avhite  tail  vanish  among  the  trees  with  a 
defiant  flourish.  I  say  the  rifle,  for  to  use  a  shotgun  on  a 
Deer  is  murder,  pure  and  simple. 

One  easy  manner  of  hunting  Deer  is  to  lay  in  wait  for 
them  at  a  salt-spring,  or  "Deer-lick."  In  various  sections 
of  the  Far  West  there  are  deposits  of  clay  which  contain  salt, 
or  alkali,  and  in  these  the  Deer  and  Elk  have  licked  cavities 
capable  of  hiding  several  animals  at  once  from  the  sight  of 
a  man  at  some  little  distance. 

But,  reader,  think  of  the  feelings  of  one  who  has  suc- 
cessfully captured  a  noble  buck  by  still-liuntingi  Let  us 
suppose  that  the  sportsman  starts  out  early  in  the  morning. 
As  he  wends  his  way  through  the  forest,  the  sun  is  just  com- 
ing up  over  the  distant  mountains,  and  the  eastern  sky  and 
clouds  are  painted  with  gold  and  purple.  The  birds  twitter, 
and  the  squirrels  chatter  merrily,  as  if  to  welcome  the  advent 
of  day.  As  he  approaches  the  singing  brook,  the  trout  dart 
under  the  shelving  bank,  and  a  covey  of  grouse  springs  into 
the  surrounding  trees. 

A  huge  section  of  country  is  traversed,  and  although  the 
sportsman  sees  plenty  of  fresh  signs,  he  has  been  unable  as 
yet  to  discern  a  single  animal.    He  ascends  a  ridge.    Slowly 


THE   COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED   DEER.  123 

and  stealthily  he  nears  the  top,  and  peers  over.  His  heart 
gives  a  sudden  leaj),  for  in  that  little  glade,  just  out  of  gun- 
shot, there  are  a  large  buck  and  a  couple  of  does  feeding,  all 
unconscious  of  danger.  To  get  within  gunshot,  he  must 
retrace  his  steps  and  make  a  detour.  After  a  great  deal 
of  patient  work,  he  gets  on  the  lee  side  of  them,  and  now 
begins  the  difficult  jDart  of  the  performance.  To  get  within 
safe  shooting  distance,  he  should  reach  that  little  clump  of 
bushes  out  there  in  the  glade;  but  the  ground  between  him 
and  his  intended  victims  is  covered  with  nothing  but  short 
grass.  By  crawling  a  little  farther  through  the  brush,  he 
gets  the  clump  of  bushes  between  him  and  the  game,  and 
then  quickly  and  noiselessly  he  approaches  them.  As  he 
reaches  the  brush,  he  drops  to  his  knees,  and,  with  throbbing 
heart,  crawls  to  the  other  side.  There  they  are,  quietly 
feeding,  but  moving  away.  Slowly  he  raises  his  rifle  and 
covei's  the  buck,  but  hesitates  to  Are,  hoping  that  the 
animal  will  turn,  so  as  to  give  a  side-shot.  Presently  the 
opportunity  oifers,  and,  aiming  just  behind  the  shoulder,  he 
presses  the  trigger. 

At  the  report  of  the  rifle  the  buck  gives  one  desperate 
bound,  and  falls,  while  the  does  quickly  betake  themselves 
to  flight.  Well  may  he  feel  ijroud,  for  he  has  sought  a 
keen,  wary  animal  in  its  natural  home,  and  outwitted  it. 

Again,  he  is  cautiously  and  stealthily  picking  his  way 
through  a  .  tract  of  brush-land,  in  which  grow  a  few 
scattering  pines  and  firs.  The  greatest  skill  and  j^atience 
are  necessary  to  avoid  making  loud  noises  in  the  dry  brush 
and  weeds,  and  alarming  all  the  game  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile.  .  He  slowly  makes  his  way,  however,  placing  his  moc- 
casined  feet  on  the  ground  with  the  silence  and  stealtliiness 
of  the  cat.  He  makes  frequent  pauses  to  peer  through  the 
brush,  in  hopes  of  seeing  a  patch  of  gray  hair,  and  listens  at- 
tentively, hoping  to  hear  a  rustle  in  the  stillness  about  him. 

He  is  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  only  a  hundred  yards 
ahead  of  him  a  magnificent  buck  is  taking  his  morning 
siesta,  in  his  bed  just  in  the  edge  of  a  clump  of  salmon 
bushes.    Present!}" — despite  all  the  care  of  the  sportsman — 


124  BIG   GAME  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

the  biKtk  hears  the  faint  sound  of  a  twig  scratching  over 
the  hunter's  clothing. 

"Ah!  what's  that?  One  of  my  kind?  Or  is  it  a  cow,  or 
a  horse?"  His  antler6d  head  is  up;  he  sniffs  the  air,  looks, 
and  listens.  "  No;  as  I  live,  it's  one  of  those  still-hunters. 
I'll  just  lay  low,  and  if  he  don't  come  close  to  me  he 
can't  see  me,  sheltered  as  I  am  by'these  brush.  But  no;  he 
is  coming  my  way.  Well,  adieu,  vain  young  man.  Call 
again."  And  with  a  graceful  motion  his  muscular  form 
springs  into  active  being,  and  with  a  few  flying  leaps  he 
vaults  away,  over  logs,  rocks,  and  whatever  obstructions 
come  in  his  way,  as  buoyantly  and  as  lightly  as  a  kitten 
dances  over  the  carpet.  His  white  flag  sways  softly  from 
side  to  side,  waving  the  hunter  anything  but  a  sign  of 
distress. 

At  the  flrst  rise  of  the  noble  game,  the  rifle  comes  auto- 
matically to  the  shoulder;  there  is  a  convulsive  clutch  at 
the  trigger,  a  puff  of  smoke,  a  flash  of  Are,  a  deafen- 
ing intonation,  and  a  crash  of  lead  through — the  brush! 
and,  alas!  the  buck  continues  his  wild  leaps,  still  flaunt- 
ing his  defiance  in  the  face  of  his  would-be  slayer. 
Another  cartridge  is  thrown  into  the  chamber;  another 
and  a  more  careful  aim  is  quickly  taken.  The  sportsman 
.is  cool  now,  and  there  is  in  his  cold  gray  eye  a  determina- 
tion to  put  this  bullet  where  it  will  count.  The  Deer  is 
now  sixty,  yes,  seventy,  yards  away,  and  almost  hidden  by 
the  thick  foliage;  but  just  as  he  rises  over  a  high  log  the 
leaden  missile  catches  him  in  the  short  ribs,  crashes  through 
his  vitals,  and  comes  out  at  the  point  of  the  opposite  shoul- 
der. Suddenly  that  white  flag  is  closely  furled;  the  great 
stag  doubles  up  and  pitches  heavily  forward;  he  recovers, 
and  makes  a  few  more  leaps,  but  they  are  no  longer  fear- 
less and  graceful — they  are  convulsive  and  catchy.  He 
swings  from  side  to  side,  stumbles,  his  head  drops,  and 
finally  he  goes  down,  stone-dead. 

On  another  day,  the  hunter  is  tramping  through  a  more 
open  country— a  heavily  wooded  region,  but  where  there 
is  no  underbrush.     He  has  hunted  several  hours  patiently 


THE   COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED  DEER.  125 

and  carefully,  and  though  he  has  seen  plenty  of  fresh  signs 
— made  last  night  and  early  this  morning — he  has  not  yet 
seen  game.  Toward  noon  he  crosses  a  narrow  tamarack 
swamp,  and  just  as  he  reaches  the  uj)land  he  catches  a 
glimpse  of  several  moving  objects.  His  quick  and  well- 
trained  eye  is  able  to  discern  the  forms  of  a  buck,  a  doe, 
and  two  fawns,  tripping  gracefully  through  the  woods  at 
right  angles  to  his  course,  and  nearly  two  hundred  yards 
away.  There  is  no  favorable  opportunity  for  a  shot,  for 
only  fleeting  glimpses  of  their  forms  can  be  seen  as  they 
pass  through  openings  between  the  giant  pines  and  hem- 
locks. 

Finally  the  sjDortsman  utters  a  plaintive  "bleat."  The 
game  stops;  but  only  the  rump  of  one  fawn  and  the  head 
of  the  doe  can  be  seen,  the  rest  of  their  bodies  being  hid- 
den by  the  trees. 

They  stand  and  listen  attentively  for  several  minutes — 
it  seems  like  several  hours  to  the  hunter.  Finally  they 
turn  and  take  a  few  steps  toward  the  source  of  the  familiar 
sound  that  attracted  them.  Again  they  pause,  look,  and 
listen.  The  hunter  has  meantime  seated  himself  on  a  log, 
with  his  left  foot  on  a  branch  of  the  fallen  trunk,  in  order 
to  have  an  easier  position  for  a  shot.  This  time  only  faint 
glimpses  of  the  sides  of  two  of  the  Deer  can  be  seen,  and 
as  the  sportsman  peers  round  the  trunk  of  a  great  fir  that 
stands  between  him  and  the  game,  the  doe  catches  a  glimpse 
of  the  movement. 

That  settles  it.  There  is  some  mystery  in  that  corner  of 
the  woods,  for  she  has  both  seen  and  heard.  She  will  now 
investigate  it  if  it  costs  her  her  life.  The  group  moves 
forward  again,  and  again  pauses.  Still,  they  are  all  so 
closely  covered  as  to  afford  no  fair  shot.  The  hunter  sits 
motionless;  but,  desj)ite  the  fact  that  he  is  a  veteran,  this 
terrible  suspense  is  telling  on  him,  and  his  heart  is  pound- 
ing at  his  ribs  like  a  trip-hammer.  The  Deer  make  a  few 
more  steps  toward  him,  but  to  save  his  life  he  can't  yet  see 
a  piece  of  one  of  them  big  enough  to  shoot  at.  In  his  time 
he  has  faced  Grizzlies,   wounded  Buffalo  bulls,  and  even 


126  BIG   GAME   OF   XORTII    AMERICA. 

Confederate  soldiers,  without  flinching;  but  somehow  this 
pesky  business  unnerves  him,  and  he  is  now  shaking  like  a 
leaf.  He  wouldn't  dare  shoot  at  anything  less  than  the 
broad  side  of  the  buck  now,  and — he  blushes  to  confess  it, 
even  to  himself— he's  afraid  he  couldn't  hit  that. 

Again  the  Deer  move  forward,  bent  on  finding  out  what 
it  was  that  moved  and  that  made  that  noise.  This  time 
their  movement  takes  them  down  into  a  little  swale,  so  that 
they  are  entirely  hidden  from  the  hunter.  But  he  is  sure 
they  will  come  on,  and  is  aware  that  when  they  come  out 
of  the  swale  they  will  be  less  than  fifty  yards  from  hira. 
Confound  this  nervousness!  His  heart  is  pounding  his  ribs 
so  that  he  is  really  afraid  the  I)eer  must  hear  it  when  they 
stop  again. 

But  his  rifle  is  at  his  shoulder,  and  his  left  elbow  is  rest- 
ing on  his  left  knee.  In  a  few  seconds  the  Deer  emerge 
from  the  draw,  within  thirty  yards  of  him;  but  now — 
plague  take  them! — tliey  are  behind  a  big  hemlock-log  that 
is  as  high  as  the  doe' s  back.  Her  great  dark  eyes,  and 
those  of  her  children,  are  peering  over  the  log  full  at  him, 
while  the  great,  spreading  antlers  of  the  buck  reach  up,  it 
seems,  almost  into  the  branches  of  the  pines.  Yet  the 
hunter  sits  motionless — or  as  nearly  so  as  i)0ssible — and, 
the  wind  being  in  his  favor,  the  game  has  not  yet  found 
out  that  he  is  alive;  but  they  will  soon.  They  move  unea- 
sily, a  step  or  two  at  a  time,  from  side  to  side. 

Finally,  patience  ceases  to  be  a  virtue.  The  hunter  can 
stand  it  no  longer.  He  has  cooled  down  somewhat,  and 
drawing  a  bead  on  the  l)uck's  neck,  he  pulls.  Fortunately, 
he  wabbles  on  at  the  supreme  moment,  and  the  quarry  falls 
dead  in  his  tracks. 

The  doe  and  the  fawns  bound  away  as  if  shot  out  of  a 
cannon.  Sir  Hubert  is  still  too  much  rattled  to  shoot  on 
the  run;  and,  as  he  hoped,  the  surviving  members  of  the 
family,  after  having  made  a  few  jumps,  halt  to  see  Avhy 
pater  famlllnH  doesn't  come,  and  tlien  the  sportsman  plants 
a  bullet  in  the  shoulder  of  the  fawn  nearest  to  him.  The 
others  skip  out  Jigain.     He  fires  two  more  shots  at  them, 


THE   COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED   DEEK.  127 

but  they  go  out  of  sight  unscathed.  However,  it  is  just 
as  well,  for  he  has  meat  enough  and  to  spare.  He  is  happy, 
for  he  has  again  pitted  his  cunning  against  that  of  the 
wildest  and  most  wary  animal  on  the  earth,  and  is  again  the 
winner. 

Probably  the  best  arm  to  hunt  Black-tailed  Deer  with 
is  the  44-caliber  repeating-rilie.  Some  hunters  use  the  45- 
caliber,  while  others  will  use  nothing  but  a  32-caliber.  It 
seems  to  me,  how^ever,  that  the  45-caliber  is  better  adapted 
to  Moose  or  Elk  shooting;  and  I  am  satisfied  that  if  the 
hunter  armed  with  nothing  but  a  32-caliber  rifle  should 
meet  with  a  Grizzly  or  Cinnamon  Bear,  he  would  feel  rather 
uncomfortable.  He  would  then  wish,  most  devoutly,  for  a 
more  powerful  weapon. 

Of  the  many  places  in  which  it  has  been  my  good  fort- 
une to  hunt  Deer,  I  think  the  locality  in  which  I  found 
game  most  abundant,  and  where  the  climate  and  scenery 
combined  to  make  the  most  pleasant  hunting-ground,  is  in 
the  Cascade  Mountains,  in  Oregon.  The  region  of  which  I 
speak  more  particularly  is  about  forty  miles  east  of  Cot- 
tage Grove,  a  small  village  in  the  Willamette  Valley.  This 
region  is  the  great  water-shed  of  Oregon.  Here  it  is  that 
the  Willamette  and  Umpqua  Rivers,  on  one  side,  and 
the  Deschutes  River,  on  the  other  side,  have  their  begin- 
nings. 

As  the  reader  is  doubtless  aware,  there  are  many  high 
and  beautiful  snow-peaks  in  the  Cascade  Range;  but  the 
region  of  which  I  write  consists  of  a  plateau,  the  altitude  of 
which  is  between  eight  and  ten  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  Here  the  snow  lies,  on  the  north  side  of 
the  hills,  during  the  entire  summer,  and  the  vegetation 
partakes  of  an  Arctic  nature.  In  the  valleys  there  is  some 
fine  timber,  but  upon  the  higher  portions  of  the  plateau  the 
vegetation  is  stunted. 

Here  one  will  find  small  trees  growing  almost  on  a  level 
with  the  ground.  The  weight  of  the  snow  has  pressed 
them  down,  so  that,  instead  of  growing  up  straight,  as  they 
should  have  done,  they  consist  of  but  a  short  trunk  and  a 


128  BTG   GAME   OF   XOIJTII    AMERICA. 

lot  of  long  limbs.  Other  trees  have  a  bend  in  their  trunks. 
When  young,  the  snow  has  pressed  them  over  so  as  to  per- 
manently bend  the  trunks;  but  they  have  afterward 
recovered,  and  grown  straiglit  up.  Such  cases  are  numer- 
ous, and  tlie  bend  often  affords  the  tired  hunter  a  comfort- 
able seat.  In  some  places,  rhododendrons,  hiurel,  and  other 
shrubs  grow  abundantly,  and  afford  considerable  cover  to 
g*ame.  Although  open,  and  easily  traversed  when  one 
once  gets  there,  this  region  is  difficult  to  reach,  as  many 
miles  of  rough  trail  and  thick  underbrush  must  be  traversed 
before  it  is  reached. 

It  has  been  several  years  since  I  visited  this  region,  and 
game  may  not  be  as  plentiful  there  now  as  then;  but  I 
think  that,  on  account  of  ihe  inaccessibility  of  the  country, 
the  Deer  have  been  but  little  hunted  there.  When  I  was 
there,  one  could  have  killed,  had  he  so  wished,  from  six  to 
ten  Deer  almost  any  day,  by  simply  taking  a  good  stand 
and  shooting  them  as  they  came  to  water.  As  may  be  con- 
jectured, the  snow  falls  to  Ji  great  depth  in  this  region 
during  the  winter. 

I  remember  once  having  seen  some  trees  that  had  been 
cut,  off  fully  thirty  feet  from  the  ground,  and  my  guide 
explained  that  they  had  been  so  cut  by  a  party  of  prospect- 
ors who  had  wintered  in  this  region  one  season.  He  said 
that  the  snow  had  fallen  to  such  a  depth  that  it  was  on  a 
level  with  the  tops  of  these  stumps.  I  asked  him  how  the 
occupants  of  the  old  cabin  which  we  found  in  this  ravine 
managed  to  subsist.  He  replied  that  this  was  easy  enough 
as  long  as  the  provisions  held  out,  as  thej'  kej^t  a  space 
around  the  door  packed  down,  and  the  fire  kept  an  opening 
through  the  snow  for  itself.  We  may  readil}'  fancy  the 
loneliness  of  such  a  life,  away  up  in  this  altitude,  with 
no  animal  life  within  miles,  and  nothing  but  howling  winds 
and  drifting  banks  of  snow  to  listen  to  or  look  at. 

Of  course  a  gre;it  deal  of  this  region  consists  of  nothing 
but  rock,  but  in  some  places  there  are  patches  of  soil  which 
appear  to  be  very  fertile,  and  in  the  summer-time  these 
si^ots  are  made  beautiful  with  shrubs  and  flowers.     I  once 


THE  COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED   DEER.  129 

picked  strawberries  with  one  hand  while  the  other  rested 
on  a  snow-bank. 

Interspersed  throughout  this  region  are  many  small 
lakes.  Some  of  them  are  not  more  than  twenty-five  or 
thirty  acres  in  extent;  but  they  are  all  alive  with  mountain 
trout.  The  larger  streams  also  contain  these  fish  in  great 
abundance.  As  I  have  previously  mentioned,  the  Black- 
tailed  Deer  is  here  found  in  great  abundance.  There  are 
also  many  Elk,  Black,  Brown,  and  Cinnamon  Bears,  Pan- 
thers, Wildcats,  etc.  In  fact,  this  is  an  ideal  hunting  and 
fishing  country. 

Once  in  awhile  a  few  of  the  Klamath  or  Warm  Spring 
Indians  visit  this  region  for  a  hunt;  but  they  are  iDeaceable, 
and  the  hunter  has  nothing  to  fear  from  them.  'No  matter 
how  rough  a  piece  of  country  may  be,  no  matter  what 
hardships  one  has  to  undergo  to  reach  it,  you  may  rest 
assured  that  the  obstacles  are  not  insurmountable  to  the 
hardy  prospector,  and  that  if  he  has  not  already  been  there, 
the  near  future  will  witness  his  advent.  So  it  is  with  this 
region;  for  many  years  ago  these  enterprising  mountain 
men  washed  the  gravel  of  the  creek-beds  and  chipped  the 
rocks  of  the  ledges  with  their  xDrospecting  hammers.  The 
diggings  proved  to  be  of  but  little  value,  but  some  pretty 
good  ledges  were  discovered.  In  fact,  it  was  business  of 
this  nature  that  gave  me  my  introduction  to  this  country. 

A  party  of  men,  including  myself,  were  sent  into  this 
region  to  put  up  some  mining  machinery.  The  machinery 
was  not  heavy,  and  we  experienced  no  trouble  until  we 
arrived  at  Cottage  Grove.  One  bright  morning  we  pulled 
out  of  that  village,  our  party  forming  quite  a  procession,  as 
it  was  composed  of  some  thirty  men  and  almost  as  many 
horses.  Most  of  the  men  walked,  the  animals  being  used 
to  haul  the  machinery,  provisions,  etc.  For  the  first  ten 
miles  we  got  along  very  well,  but  the  rest  of  the  forty-mile 
journey  was  over  a  trail,  than  which  a  rougher  would  be 
hard  to  find. 

On  the  third  day  we  reached  our  destination,  and  in  the 
course  of  time  all  the  machinery  was  set  up.    My  part  of  the 


130  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

business  now  being  over,  I  found  myself  in  a  great  game 
country,  with  j^lenty  of  time  to  enjoy  myself.  It  is,  per- 
haps, needless  to  add  that  I  availed  myself  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  my  entire  satisfaction.     . 

I  spent  many  a  pleasant  day  Deer  and  Elk  hunting,  and 
I  remember  one  day  in  particular.  It  was  in  the  latter  part 
of  August.  The  men  had  been  hinting  that  a  little  venison 
would  be  accej) table;  so,  after  breakfast,  I  took  down  my 
44- caliber  Winchester,  and  started  out  alone.  Taking  the 
summit  of  a  ridge,  I  walked  slowly  along,  more  intent  on 
watching  the  beautiful  effects  of  the  rising  sun  on  tiie 
mountains  than  on  hunting  Deer.  Suddenly,  a  buck 
jumped  up  from  a  ravine  about  one  hundred  yards  from  me, 
and  made  a  dive  for  a  clump  of  underbrush.  I  fired  at  his 
vanishing  form,  but  failed  to  stoj)  him.  I  mentally  kicked 
myself  just  as  I  pulled  the  trigger,  for  I  did  not  want 
to  wound  any  Deer  that  I  did  not  get,  and  I  knew  that 
with  me  it  would  be  but  a  chance  shot  that  would  kill  a 
running  Deer  at  such  a  distance  and  under  such  circum- 
stances. 

As  I  sauntered  along,  I  saw  several  Deer  jump  from  their 
beds  in  the  canon,  and  bound  off  into  the  brush.  Had  I 
wanted  to  kill  a  lot  of  Deer,  I  would  have  hunted  in  these 
places;  but  I  knew  that  it  would  be  hard  to  get  the  veni- 
son out  of  such  places,  and  thought  I  would  find  plenty  of 
Deer  on  the  ridges,  before  the  day  was  over.  These  ridges 
run  one  into  the  other,  and  by  walking  along  their  summits 
one  can  travel  all  over  this  country  with  but  little  incon- 
venience. 

It  was  about  ten  o'clock  when,  in  passing  through  a 
clump  of  brush,  I  saw,  about  three  hundred  yards  distant, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  same  ridge,  a  large  buck  and  a 
doe. 

Of  course,  I  was  hunting  against  the  wind,  but.  as  there 
was  almost  no  cover  between  the  game  and  myself,  I  saw 
that  I  would  either  have  to  risk  a  long  shot  or  make  a 
detour  and  come  up  on  the  north  side  of  the  ridge.  I  was 
not  slow  in  choosing  the  latter  plan,  and,  retracing  my  steps, 


THE   COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED   DEEK.  131 

I  descended  the  ridge  a  short  distance.  After  walking 
parallel  with  the  summit  until  I  thought  I  was  in  the 
neighborhood  of  my  game,  I  cautiously,  and  as  silently  as 
possible,  crept  up  behind  a  large  rock,  and  peered  over.  To 
my  surprise,  no  Deer  were  in  sight,  and  I  supposed  they 
had  taken  alarm  and  fled.  I  was  on  the  point  of  Jumping  to 
my  feet  in  disgust,  when  suddenly  I  espied  my  friends 
almost  one  hundred  yards  from  me.  The  doe  was  now  lying 
down,  and  the  buck  was  browsing  in  a  clump  of  brush. 

Resting  m}^  left  elbow  on  my  knee,  I  drew  a  bead  on  the 
buck,  and  waited  for  him  to  show  himself  more  fully.  He 
soon  came  out,  and  presented  a  fine  side-shot.  Taking  good 
sight  on  him  Just  behind  the  shoulder,  I  pressed  the  trigger. 
At  the  crack  of  the  rifle,  he  went  down  like  the  traditional 
log,  while  the  doe  and  another  buck,  which  I  had  not 
noticed,  quickly  vanished  over  the  ridge. 

Upon  going  up  to  my  game,  I  found  that  the  bullet  had 
broken  both  shoulders  of  a  four-point  buck.  I  gave  him 
another  shot  in  the  head,  which  quickly  jDut  him  out  of  his 
miserj^ 

I  am  always  careful  in  approaching  a  wounded  buck,  for 
I  once  saw  a  companion  of  mine  terriblj^  injured  by  one  of 
these  animals.  There  was  a  party  of  us  hunting  in  South- 
ern Oregon,  and  one  of  the  older  members  of  the  j)arty 
had  that  very  day  cautioned  us  to  be  careful  in  approach- 
ing a  wounded  Deer.     Poor  H was  hunting  on  the  same 

ridge  that  I  was  on.  I  saw  him  fire  at  a  buck,  and  as  it 
fell,  he  laid  down  his  gun,  and,  drawing  his  knife,  ran  up 
to  the  animal  to  cut  its  throat.  I  thought,  by  the  way  the 
animal  went  down,  that  it  had  not  received  a  mortal  wound, 
and  shouted  to  him  to  be  careful,  at  the  same  time  mak- 
ing my  way  rapidly  in  his  direction.  My  warning  was  too 
late,  however;  for,  as  he  apxDroached  it,  the  buck  suddenly 
rose  to  its  feet,  and,  Jumping  against  the  hunter,  hurled 
him  to  the  ground.  The  next  instant  the  animal  bounded 
into  the  air,  and  came  down  with  all  four  feet  on  the  pros- 
trate man.  At  this  instant,  one  of  the  party,  who  had 
approached  from  another  direction,  fired  at  the  animal  and 


132  BIG  GAME   OF   iXOUTIl   AMERICA. 

killed  it.  We  had  to  carry  the  wounded  man  sixty  miles 
on  a  stretcher,  and  lie  never  fully  recovered  I'rom  his  terri- 
ble experience. 

After  disemboweling  my  Deer  and  hanging  the  carcass 
on  a  tree,  I  determined  to  cross  over  to  another  ridge.  To 
do  this,  I  had  to  descend  into  a  valley  which  wixs  full  of 
brush.  As  I  was  pushing  my  way  through  this,  I  suddenly 
became  aware  of  the  presence  of  a  Bear.  I  did  not  see  the 
animal  at  first,  but  I  smelt  her.  This  may  seem  strange  to 
some  of  my  readers,  but  it  is  the  fact,  nevertheless;  and  as 
I  looked  up,  I  saw  a  large  female  Black  Bear  standing 
erect,  not  more  than  thirty  feet  from  me.  She  was  looking 
straight  at  me,  and  apparently  had  her  nose  turned  up, 
thereby  disclosing  a  very  formidable  set  of  ivories.  When 
she  saw  that  I  had  discovered  her,  she  gave  vent  to  a  deep 
growl  that  was  full  of  meaning.  She  probably  had  cubs  in 
the  neighborhood,  for  these  animals  will  generally  run  from 
a  man,  unless  they  be  so  incumbered.  Not  wishing  to  have 
any  trouble  with  so  quick  and  powerful  an  animal  in  the 
thick  brush,  I  quickly,  and  as  quietly  as  possible,  "craw- 
fished" my  way  into  the  open. 

Upon  getting  out,  my  courage  returned  to.  me,  and  I 
determined  to  go  through  there,  Bruin  or  no  Bruin;  so, 
cocking  my  Winchester,  I  marched  bravel}'  in,  but  the 
animal  had  by  this  time  disappeared.  After  a  hard  climb, 
I  found  myself  at  noon  on  top  of  the  highest  ridge  of 
this  high  region,  and  sat  down  on  a  rock  to  eat  my  lunch. 
My  sportsman  friend,  if  you  have  any  love  for  the  beauties 
of  Nature,  and  had  been  with  me  that  day,  you  would 
have  had  but  little  time  for  the  dis2)05al  of  that  plain 
lunch— you  would  have  had  your  attention  almost  wholly 
taken  up  by  the  l)eautiful  sight  which  was  spread  out  to 
my  vision.  You  have  doubtless  visited  a  cyclorama;  and 
the  position  I  occupied  was  similar  to  that  of  the  people 
who  occupy  the  central  platform  of  one  of  these  institu- 
tions. A  beautiful  view  was  spread  out  to  me  on  all  sides. 
In  these  high  altitudes  the  atmosphere  is  wonderfully 
clf'ai',  and  one  can  see  a  great  distance. 


THE   COLUMBIA   BLACK-TAILED    DEER.  133 

Looking  away  to  the  north,  my  eyes  fell  on  the  glitter- 
ing summits  of  Mount  Hood,  Mount  Jefferson,  and  the 
Three  Sisters.  Between  them  and  myself  the  mighty  Cas- 
cade Range  stretched  its  timbered  length.  Some  of  the 
mountains  were  clothed  almost  to  their  summits  with  a 
majestic  forest  of  fir.  In  some  places  this  had  been  visited 
by  lire,  which  some  careless  camper  or  settler  had  allowed 
to  spread,  and  the  weather-beaten,  but  upright,  trunks  of 
thousands  of  giant  trees  glistened  in  the  sunlight  like  so 
many  needles. 

Far  in  the  east,  towering  above  the  sage-brush  plains  of 
Central  Oregon,  the  hazy  summits  of  a  spur  of  the  Blue 
Mountains  were  seen;  to  the  west,  the  eye  overlooked  the 
beautiful  and  fertile  valley  of  the  Willamette;  and  turning 
to  the  south,  the  vision,  rested  on  the  spotless  summits  of 
Diamond  Peak,  Mount  Theilson,  Mount  Pitt,  Mount  Scott, 
and  last,  but  not  least.  Mount  Shasta.  Truly,  this  was  a 
sight  long  to  be  remembered;  but  the  one  in  my  immediate 
neighborhood  was  hardly  less  beautiful. 

From  my  central  position,  I  overlooked  a  number  of 
ridges  running  into  each  other,  in  some  x>laces  slightly 
covered  with  snow.  These  ridges  consisted  mainly  of  naked, 
but  not  unpicturesque,  rocks;  but  in  some  places  these  were 
hid  by  a  scrubby  growth  of  firs. 

Looking  down  the  southern  slope  of  my  ridge,  I  beheld 
a  sight  that,  could  it  have  been  transferred  to  canvas,  would 
have  formed  a  most  beautiful  picture.  Here  had  been 
deposited  considerable  soil,  which  ax)x^eared  to  be  of  a  red, 
volcanic  nature,  but  which  was  sufBciently  rich  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  good  deal  of  vegetation.  On  this  ridge  grew 
thousands  and  thousands  of  rhododendrons,  of  three  differ- 
ent colors — red,  white,  and  pink.  Growing  in  the  moister 
spots  were  a  species  of  wild  pansy,  two  varieties  of  lilies, 
and  several  other  beautiful  tiowers,  the  names  of  which  I 
am  not  familiar  with.  Huckleberry  and  other  shrubs  were 
here  to  be  found  in  great  abundance.  Thrushes,  black- 
caps, grossbeaks,  chickadees,  and  other  birds  were  flutter- 
ing about  among  the  shrubbery,  and,  strange  as  it  may 


.VS4  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

seem,  this  region  was  the  abiding-j^lace  of  thousands  of 
humming-birds,  of  different  varieties  and  most  gorgeous 
plumage. 

I  took  my  ritie,  and  wandered  about  among  these  i:)lants 
and  flowers,  drinking  in  the  beautiful  sight,  for  a  full  hour, 
and  as  I  did  so  the  thought  came  to  me  that  at  last  the 
sportsman's  paradise,  the  mysterious  happy  hunting- 
ground  of  the  red  man,  had  been  discovered.  Here  was 
game  in  the  greatest  abundance;  locomotion  was  easy; 
the  climate  was  nearly  perfect,  and  the  air  and  water  were 
the  jDurest  in  the  world;  scenery  the  superior  of  which  is 
not  to  be  found  on  the  continent,  and  birds,  flowers,  and 
berries  of  beautiful  colors  and  forms. 

During  the  time  that  I  was  feasting  on  the  beauties  of 
Nature  I  saw  several  Deer  at  no  great  distance,  but  did  not 
disturb  them.  Once  a  large  doe  jumped  up  from  her  bed 
among  the  shrubs  and  bounded  slowly  away;  but  I  was  not 
shooting  does  as  long  as  there  were  plenty  of  bucks.  The 
afternoon  was  half-spent  before  I  directed  my  steps  toward 
camp.  I  had  hardly  walked  three  hundred  yards,  from  the 
sj)ot  where  I  ate  my  lunch,  when  a  fine  two-point  buck 
walked  out  from  behind  a  wall  of  rock.  Throwing  mj^  rifle 
to  my  shoulder,  I  gave  it  to  him  where  I  thought  his  heart 
lay.  Down  went  his  tail,  and,  after  making  about  half  a 
dozen  quick  bounds,  over  he  went  on  his  head.  On  coming 
u])  to  him,  I  found  that  my  aim  had  been  true,  and  that  tlie 
ball  had  passed  through  his  heart.  In  such  a  case  a  Deer 
will  often  run  as  long  as  he  can  hold  his  breath.  I  soon  had 
him  liuiig  up,  and  proceeded  on  my  way  t(j  camp. 

I  had  arrived  within  almost  half  a  mile  of  camp,  when  I 
came  upon  two  ])ucks  and  three  does  feeding  in  a  little 
glade.  They  were  not  more  than  fifty  yards  distant,  and 
had  not  discovered  me.  So  confident  was  I  of  killing  the 
buck  I  had  selected  that  I  did  not  take  careful  aim,  and  I 
made  a  clean  miss.  The  does  and  the  other  buck  ran  ott'  in 
alarm,  but  their  curiosity  would  not  admit  of  their  going 
far.  The  buck  that  I  had  fired  at  gave  but  a  coui)]e  of 
bounds,  and  stood  looking  at  me.     Within  a  second  after  I 


THE   COLUMBIA    BLACK-TAILED   DEEE. 


135 


fired  my  first  shot  I  was  ready  for  a  second,  and  as  he  stood 
there,  proudly,  looking  at  me,  I  planted  a  bullet  in  the  base 
of  his  neck.  This  time  he  did  not  go  far,  for  the  bullet 
went,  lengthwise,  entirely  through  his  body.  Hanging  him 
up,  I  proceeded  to  camp,  where  a  substantial  supj)er 
awaited  me. 

The  next  morning  I  took  a  couple  of  ponies  and  brought 
my  game  to  camp.  Not  long  after  this  it  clouded  up,  and 
there  was  a  slight  fall  of  snow.  The  miners  were  not  slow 
to  take  the  hint,  and  the  mines  and  cabins  were  soon  closed 
up,  and  we  all  hied  ourselves  back  to  civilization. 

It  would  take  an  abler  pen  than  mine  to  give  a  realistic 
description  of  this  wonderful  region.  The  only  way  in 
which  you  can  fully  apx^reciate  its  beauties  is  to  visit  it, 
which  pleasure  I  earnestly  hope  you  may  sometime  enjoy. 


THE  MULE  DEER. 


By  Rev.  Joshua  Cooke  ("Boone"). 


PRESUME  that  it  is  not  the  design  of  the  editor  of 
this  work  to  have  his  contributors  go  into  minute 
details  of  description  of  the  noble  animals  of  which  he 
^  wishes  us  to  write,  especially  of  the  Oermd(£\  the 
handsome  and  remarkable  volume  of  Judge  Caton  on  "The 
Antelope  and  Deer  of  America"  has  left  nothing  of  that 
kind  to  be  done  after  him.  I  assume  that  it  is  our  province 
to  give  fair  general  descriptions  of  the  animals,  to  treat  of 
their  haunts  and  habits  as  we  ourselves  have  discovered 
them,  and  to  narrate  such  incidents  of  region,  forest  life,  the 
actual  hunt,  as  should  make  the  reader  our  companion  for 
the  time,  and  the  sharer  in  our  instruction  and  our  pleasure 
as  we  tell  the  hunt  in  its  details,  and  "tight  our  battles  o'er 
again."  It  is  one  of  the  pleasures  remaining  to  those  who 
have  been  themselves  shut  out,  by  busy  life  or  other  cause, 
from  XHirsuit  of  our  nobler  game  animals,  to  read  the  stories 
as  told  by  more  favored  ones;  while  these  latter,  now 
ciebarred  from  former  .privileges,  seek  a  measurable  renew- 
ing of  them  through  the  medium  of  the  pen.  So,  without 
further  prologue,  I  will  enter  on  the  part  assigned  me,  with 
this  jileasure.  that  m^^  theme  is  one  of  the  finest  animals  of 
the  chase,  or  of  our  continent. 

Although,  as  I  said,  I  do  not  suppose  it  is  minutely 
technical  description  that  is  looked  for  from  us,  yet  it  is 
proper  that  the  animal  should  be  fairly  set  before  the 
reader  before  entering  on  details  and  incidents  of  its  x^ur- 
sult.  This  can  not  be  done  better  tlian  in  the  words  of 
Judge  Caton,  who  has  both  hunted  the  Mule  Deer  in  his 
native  haunts  and  raised  him  in  his  noble  park  in  Illinois. 
Judge  Caton  says: 

This  Deer  was  first  discovered  by  Lewis  and  Clarke,  on  September  18, 
1804,  in  latitude  42°,  on  tlie  Missouri  River,  wlio  then  called  it  "Black-tailed 


138  BIO  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Deer."  By  this  uame  thej  often  mention  it,  until  May  31,  1805,  after  they 
had  discovered  the  Columbia  Black-tailed  Deer,  when  Captain  Clarke,  on 
enumerating  the  animals  found  on  the  Columbia  River  below  the  falls,  calls  it 
the  Mule  Deer.  By  that  name  they  ever  af  ler  identify  it,  except  in  a  single 
instance.  On  their  return,  in  1806,  near  where  they  first  met  it  they  cap- 
tured their  last  specimen,  and  called  it  Mule  Deer.  In  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
where  tlie  true  Black-tailed  Deer  is  not  known,  it  is  still  called  the  Black-  ' 
tailed  Deer.  On  the  Pacific  Coast,  where  it  ranges  with  the  Columbia  Black- 
tailed  Deer,  it  is  known  by  its  true  name,  Mule  Deer,  by  which  designation  it 
is  also  recognized  by  naturalists.  The  original  habitat  of  this  Deer  has  not 
been  very  nmch  restricted  since  its  first  discovery,  though  it  has  deserted  or 
become  scarce  on  the  Missouri  River  and  other  hunted  localities  where  the 
white  man  has  too  much  disturbed  its  seclusion.  Its  most  natural  home  is  in 
the  mountains;  but  it  is  found  on  the  great  plains,  hundreds  of  miles  east  of 
them,  where  it  most  affects  the  broken  and  arboreous  borders  of  the  streams. 

West  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  this  species  of  Deer  is  met  with  almost 
everywhere.  In  the  Coast  Range,  north  of  San  Francisco,  it  is  almost  entirely 
replaced  by  the  Columbia  River  Black-tailed  Deer,  and  south  of  that  point 
this  variety  entirely  gives  place  to  the  California  variety.  In  Oregon,  Wash- 
ington, and  in  British  Columbia,  the  Mule  Deer  is  met  with,  but  not  so  abun- 
dantly as  in  the  mountains  farther  east.\ 

In  the  face  of  civilization,  they  maintain  their  ground  better  than  the 
Wapiti  Deer.  Inflight,  they  do  not  run  like  the  common  Deer,  but  bound 
along,  all  the  feet  leaving  and  striking  the  ground  together.  For  a  short 
distance  the  flight  is  rapid,  but  soon  seems  to  weary.  Once,  when  sitting  on  a 
crag  on  the  Rocky  Mountains  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  I  watched  one, 
which  had  been  started  by  a  companion,  as  he  bounded  through  the  valley  a 
thousand  feet  below.  In  a  run  of  half  a  mile,  he  sliowed  evident  fatigue. 
That  the  labor  of  such  a  motion  is  greater  than  that  of  the  long,  graceful 
leaps  of  the  common  Deer,  must  be  manifest  to  all  who  observe  them. 

Their  limbs  are  larger  and  coarser  than  those  of  the  common  Deer,  and 
they  are  less  agile  and  elastic  in  their  motions,  and  are  less  graceful  in  form. 
Their  large,  disproportioued  ears  are  their  most  ugly  feature,  and  give  tone  to 
the  whole  figure. 

The  summer  coat  is  a  pale,  dull  yellow.  Toward  fall,  this  is  replaced 
by  a  fine,  short,  black  coat,  which  rapidly  fades  to  gray.  As  the  season 
advances,  the  hairs  of  the  winter  coat  grow  larger,  and  so  become  more  dense, 
as  well  as  of  a  ligliter  color.  Usually,  in  the  forehead  is  a  dark,  bent  line 
in  the  form  of  a  horseshoe,  with  the  toe  downward.  The  brisket  and  belly 
arc  black,  growing  ligliter  toward  the  lunbilicus;  thence,  posteriorly,  a  still 
lighter  shade  prevails,  till,  at  the  inguinal  region,  a  dull  white  prevails. 
Between  the  thighs  it  is  quite  white,  widening  toward  the  tail.  This  white 
portion  extends  to  one  incli  above  the  tail,  wliere  it  is  six  inches  broad.  Lower 
down,  it  is  eight  inches  broad,  and  lower  still,  between  the  legs,  it  contracts 
to  four  inches  in  breadth.  Viewed  posteriorly,  this  white  patch  is  a  conspicu- 
ous object.  Below  the  knees  and  elbows,  the  legs  are  of  a  uniform  dark  cm- 
namoii  color. 


THE   MULE  DEER.  139 

Thus  much  for  the  Deer  himself;  now  for  the  getting 
him — a  very  different  thing! 

In  a  wild,  lonely  nook  of  the  Blue  Mountains  of  Oregon, 
between  the  west  and  south  forks  of  Burnt  River,  lies  our 
camp  for  a  fall  hunt — for  recreation  from  a  hard  summer's 
work,  and  for  meat  to  stretch  out  the  beef  for  the  winter. 
It  is  October.  In  that  altitude  of  five  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea-level,  and  in  an  almost  rainless  climate,  the  air, 
under  a  cloudless  sun  at  midday,  is  cool  and  bracing;  and 
the  sun  once  down,  the  cold  requires  a  good  winter  fire  for 
the  night.  I  have  lived  many  years — more  than  three- 
score— and  I  have  never  known  greater  physical  and  mental 
enjoyment  combined  than  at  Just  such  a  camp-fire,  in  just 
such  a  solitude,  with  just  such  a  company — all  fond  of  the 
woods,  of  the  rifle,  of  the  hunt  for  Deer.  The  summer's 
work  had  been  a  most  toilsome  one,  i^utting  up  liaj'  to 
carry  the  stock  of  the  ranch  through  the  winter,  and  getting 
everj'thing  in  order  for  the  near  approach  of  that  season. 
And  now  the  work  of  the  long,  weary,  wearing  months 
could  be  thrown  aside;  care  could  be  given  to  the  winds  for 
ten  days  or  a  fortnight,  and  the  keen  pleasure  of  seeking 
the  wary  Deer  in  the  midst  of  his  haunts,  and  glinting 
over  the  brown  barrel  at  tlie  noble  game,  could  be  enjoyed 
to  the  full. 

And  noble  game  it  is;  for  it  is  the  Mule  Deer  of  Oregon 
and  Washington — next  to  the  Elk  and  the  Moose,  the 
largest  and  flnest  of  our  American  Cerv)id(£.  We  were 
camped  in  the  midst  of  a  region  he  peculiarly  loves — near 
the  foot-hills  that  slope  upward  from  the  forks  of  the  river 
to  ridges  and  mountains  covered  with  pine,  fir,  laurel, 
mountain  mahogany,  grease- wood,  from  all  of  which  he 
crops  his  fare,  and  in  the  midst  of  which  he  seeks  the  places 
of  his  rest  and  his  hiding — always  with  possibilities  of 
meeting  the  lordly  Elk,  which,  even  at  this  season,  and 
earlier,  comes  down  from  his  far  mountain  haunts  for  the 
alkali-springs  that  are  found  here  and  there  along  all  these 
mountain  streams.  And  this  wild  tract  stretches  away  a 
hundred  miles  to  the  west,  an  unbroken  wilderness  of  forest, 


140  BIG   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

ridge,  and  mountain,  where  one  may  go  the  whole  distance 
to  the  John  Day  country  without  meeting  face  or  dwelling 
of  humankind;  so  that  there  was  force  in  the  caution,  as 
we  started  out,  "•  If  you  get  lost,  go  east!  " 

My  hunting  comimnion  was  my  oldest  son— six  feet  and 
an  inch  in  liis  stockings;  with  dark  hair  and  eyes,  a  manly 
face  and  form  —a  powerful  man;  withal,  a  good  shot  and  an 
unusually  line  hunter,  always  the  reliance  of  the  ranch  for 
meat  when  no  one  else  could  secure  it.  And,  best  of  all, 
to  me  a  warm-hearted,  generous,  loving  son,  who  was 
delighted  to  have  his  father  with  him  after  a  seclusion  from 
all  he  loved  for  five  long  years. 

We  hunt  together  to-day.  He  has  with  him  his  favorite 
Deer-dog,  a  cross  of  the  Hound  and  the  Pointer.  1  have  my 
beautiful  Irish  Setter,  equally  at  home  with  Elk  and  Deer 
as  with  the  grouse  on  the  foot-hills  and  in  the  meadows 
below;  but  in  manner  of  hunting  wholly  another  animal — 
a  changed  dog,  as  may  be  accomplished  with  any  good 
Setter  in  three  days"  time.  And  so,  the  drowsiness  of  the 
night  shaken  off,  our  coffee  and  breakfast  over,  just  as  the 
sun  is  rising  over  the  far  foot-hills  of  the  east,  we  grasp  our 
good  ritles,  wish  good  luck  to  our  companions,  and  start  for 
the  ridges  and  mountains  west  of  us.  It  would  be  difficult 
to  convey  to  one  unused  to  life  of  this  kind,  in  the  open  air 
and  in  woods  and  hills,  and  not  fond  of  the  rille  and  its 
uses,  the  sense  of  exhilaration,  the  springiness  of  step,  the 
thrill  of  gladness  through  the  whole  system,  that  are 
inspired  by  life,  for  a  time,  in  wild  and  sublime  scenes  like 
these;  especially,  when  added  to  all  of  ordinary  forest  free- 
dom is  the  bracing  quality  of  a  rainless  atmosphere  and  a 
cloudless  sky,  at  an  elevation  of  five  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea.  Movement  itself  becomes  pleasure;  to  climb  a 
steep  liill-side  or  thread  your  way  along  a  steep  ridge  has 
no  fatigue,  while  the  intense  and  solemn  stillness  of  the 
primeval  forest,  far  from  the  sound  and  haunts  of  men, 
with  the  sense  of  entire  physical  freedom  from  care  and 
to  go  where  you  will  coming  in  sharp  contrast  with  the 
confinement  of  daily  life  through  the  rest  of  the  year,  com- 


THE   MULE  DEER.  141 

bine  to  make  all  a  simple  ecstasy  for  a  lover  of  Nature  and 
of  the  hunt. 

To  one  not  fond  of  these,  to  stay  at  home  and  saw  wood 
would  be  preferable.  I  have  actually  been  out  amid  the 
grandest  scenes,  in  the  most  g-lorious  weather,  and  where 
every  breath  and  every  sight  was  an  inspiration,  with  men 
who  were  glad  to  get  back  to  their  saw  and  their  wood,  or 
their  equivalents. 

All  light!  Non  culms  omnia!  Were  all  of  the  same 
mind,  the  wilderness  world  would  be  speedily  overrun,  and 
plain  and  forest  and  mountain  be  stripped  of  their  game 
more  rapidly  even  than  they  are  now  being  stripped  by  the 
foreign  butcher  and  the  skin-hunter — men  whom  I  always 
class  together  in  my  mind. 

Added  to  all  other  stimulants  of  the  scenes  I  was  mov- 
ing in,  was  the  unquenched  and  unquenchable  tenderness 
for  the  noble  boy  who  led  the  way  before  me;  tall,  powerful, 
manly;  his  face  browned  by  exposure  to  almost  the  hue  of 
his  rich  brown  hair,  and  his  dark,  hazel  eye  beaming  with 
affection  for  the  father  for  whom  he  had  planned  this  very 
hunt  a  year  ago,  and  when  he  was  two  thousand  miles 
away.  He  x^aused  now,  as  we  were  entering  the  thickets 
of  mingled  laurel,  grease-wood,  and  mountain  mahogany 
which  partially  filled  the  spaces  between  the  boles  of  the 
fir  and  pine. 

' '  Now,  father,  we  are  on  the  ground,  and  liable  to  see  a 
Deer  anywhere.  This  is  mostly  new  ground  to  me,  for  I 
never  hunted  on  it  but  once,  and  it  is  a  bad  country  to  get 
lost  in.  I  wish  that  you  would  keep  near  me  to-day, 
and  don't  make  me  look  for  you,  for  I  shall  want  all  my 
eyes  for  the  Deer.  If  we  both  see  the  Deer,  I  want  you  to 
shoot,  for  you  are-  a  better  shot  than  I  am,  while  I  know 
best  where  to  look  for  the  game.  But  don't  get  away  from 
me,  for  it  is  so  easy  here  to  get  lost." 

He  is  really  a  fine  shot  himself;  but  he  spoke  from  a 
traditional  feeling  as  to  my  use  of  the  rifle  when  he  was 
at  an  age  that  he  could  not  lift  one.  We  passed  on,  I  a  few 
rods  to  one  side  of  and  behind  him,  and  soon  were  in  that 


14*2  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

absorbed  noiselessness  that  all  Deer-hunters  will  under- 
stand, where  to  break  a  twig  or  step  on  a  brittle  stick  gives 
one  a  twinge  as  for  a  guilty  thing. 

AVe  had  gone  sideling  up  a  high  ridge,  on  the  very- 
brow  of  which  rose  a  single  massive  rock,  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  in  height.  We  were  nearing  it  slowly,  within  a  hun- 
dred yards,  when  out  from  behind  it  stepped  a  noble  doe. 
She  moved  on  to  a  little  mound  or  hillock,  and  there  stood 
motionless  as  her  eye  caught  us.  It  was  a  sight  I  shall 
never  forget,  and  shall  never  see  again.  Below  and  beyond 
her  the  ridge  pitched  steej^ly  down,  so  that  her  entire  form 
stood  outlined  above  the  horizon  against  the  clear,  blue  sky. 
She  stood  as  if  for  a  picture,  as,  indeed,  she  was  in  herself. 
In  a  life  of  sixty  years,  and_  in  pursuit  of  game  under  all 
conditions,  animated  nature  has  never  presented  to  my 
sight  anything  so  beautiful. 

She  stood  slightly  quartering  to  us,  visible  from  her 
great  nine  inch  ears  to  her  very  hoofs.  My  son  barely 
turned  his  head,  and  whispered: 

"  Do  you  see  that:; "' 

But  my  ritle  was  at  my  shoulder,  and,  as  he  spoke,  I 
fired.  The  Deer  gave  a  wheel  backward,  and  went  out  of 
sight.  This  was  bad.  I  had  been  perfect!}'  steady;  my  rifle 
was  perfectly  sighted  for  just  that  distance,  and  she  ought 
to  have  fallen  in  her  tracks. 

I  felt  crestfallen.    As  Ave  walked  slowly  uj:*,  my  son  said: 

"Father,  where  did  you  aimT' 

I  said:  "At  the  big,  round,  whitish  spot  on  her  left 
breast;  for  the  bullet  would  pass  through  the  heart  and  out 
on  the  other  side."' 

With  much  chagrin,  he  said: 

"I  should  think  an  old  hunter,  as  you  are,  would  have 
known  enough  to  aim  at  the  point  of  the  shoulder.  Then 
if  }our  ball  had  droi)ped  six  inches,  you  would  still  have 
got  her;  but  now,  if  you  dropped  four  inches,  it  went 
below  her  brisket,  and  you  have  missed  her  altogether."' 

"But,"'  I  said,  "at  tliat  distance  I  didn't  mean  to  have 
my  ball  drop  four  inches."' 


THE   MULE   DEER.  143 

This  brought  us  to  the  mound,  and  there,  behind  it,  lay 
the  Deer,  dead,  in  a  posture  as  striking  as  that  in  which  slie 
stood  sharply  defined  against  the  sky.  The  revulsion  of 
feeling  from  chagrin  to  gratification  was  almost  painful. 
My  son  bled  her,  and  we  then  looked  upon  her  as  she  lay. 
Head,  neck,  and  form  w^ere  in  just  such  position  as  she 
might  have  been  in  sleeping  on  her  side,  w^hile  her  strong, 
cinnamon-colored  legs  were  disposed  at  full  length,  as  if 
arranged  by  hand.  Her  coat  had  passed  from  the  blackish 
shade  which  it  takes  on  after  the  yellowish  summer  dress 
into  the  steel-mixed,  with  its  satin  sheen  of  the  full  winter 
coat.  Down  her  throat  was  the  deep-black  band  that 
marks  the  species,  while  breast  and  belly  were  of  broader 
and  deeper  black  still,  till  shading  into  the  pure  white 
between  the  thighs  and  up  on  both  sides  to  two  inches 
above  the  tail.  We  walked  around  her  in  silent  admiration. 

"Well,  father,  I  have  hunted  these  Deer  for  five  years 
now,  and  that  is  the  handsomest  one  I  ever  saw,  and  you 
will  never  shoot  such  another.  She  is  one  of  the  oldest 
does— probably  eight  or  ten  years  old — and  in  perfect  condi- 
tion. She  will  Aveigh  near  three  hundred  as  she  lies  there." 
Then  he  said,  "Now,  let  us  see  where  you  hit  her." 

The  ball  had  struck  the  round  spot  of  the  breast  directly 
in  the  center;  had  passed  between  the  shoulders,  through 
the  heart,  and  out  on  the  other  side. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "that  is  close  shooting!  I  can't  shoot 
like  that!  But  don't  you  see,  father,  if  you  had  gone  four 
inches  lower  you  would  have  missed  her  altogether^' 

"Bates,"  I  said,  "you  remind  me  of  a  harum-scarum 
fellow  that  went  from  a  Massachusetts  town  into  Washing- 
ton's army,  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  brought  back  for 
treatment,  his  head  furrowed  by  a  British  bullet,  but  the 
skull  not  fractured.  The  minister  of  the  town,  meeting 
him  one  day,  thouglit  it  would  be  a  proper  occasion  for  a 
lesson.  He  said,  solemnly:  '  Isaac,  did  you  know  that  if 
that  bullet  had  gone  an  inch  lower  you  would  have  been 
in  eternity?'  'Ye-e-s,'  said  Ike;  'and  if  the  d-d-darned 
thing  had  g-g-gone  an  inch  higher,  it  wouldn't  have  h-i-i-it 


144  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

me  at  all! '     Ike's  ' if '  was  as  good  as  the  dominie's,  and  it 
was  a  fair  reply." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Bates,  "you'll  always  have  your  story; 
now  we'll  cut  up  the  Deer." 

The  truth  was,  he  was  right;  the  point  of  the  shoulder 
is  always  the  shot  for  a  Deer.  The  shoulder  on  both  sides 
is  broken,  the  lungs  and  spine  are  joenetrated,  and  the  ani- 
mal goes  down  at  once.  But  then,  he  was  my  boy,  and  it 
wouldn't  do  to  give  in.  As  Mr.  Bagnet  says,  "Discipline 
must  be  maintained." 

We  drew  the  fine  animal,  put  her  on  the  mound  for 
notice  when  coming  in  with  the  horse,  and  resumed  our 
hunt  in  good  heart  over  the  good  omen  for  the  day. 

We  now  kept  along  the  northern  side  of  the  ridge,  the 
southern  being  steep  and  quite  bare,  while  our  own  side 
was  a  long  slope,  and  covered  with  all  the  woods  that  give 
food  and  shelter  to  Deer.  We  had  gone,  perhaps,  half  a 
mile,  and  were  some  four  rods  apart,  my  son  just  then 
hidden  in  some  thickets  of  mountain  mahoganj',  when  right 
ahead  of  him  a  hundred  yards  I  saw  a  fine  Deer  walking 
rapidly  down  the  hill-side.  I  drew  up  my  rifle,  but  it  was 
passing  four  or  five  huge  pines,  and  no  sooner  would  I  get 
my  sight  to  bear  than  a  huge  tree-trunk  would  come  between 
me  and  the  game.  I  waited  till  it  had  passed  the  last  tree, 
and  fired  for  the  shoulder.  It  went  heavily  to  the  ground, 
and  floundered  around  as  Deer  always  do  when  struck  in 
the  shoulder.     Bates  said,  in  a  low  tone: 

"Whatnow>" 

"I've  got  one,  yonder,"  said  I. 

When  up  from  the  hill-side,  directly  beyond  my  son 
and  over  his  head,  sprang  my  Deer  as  lively  as  ever.  I 
fired  again,  and  brought  it  down.  As  will  sometimes  hap- 
pen, I  could  see  distinctly  the  whitish  parting  of  the  hair 
as  the  bullet  struck  the  side. 

At  that  moment  a  Deer  sprang  up  directly  in  front  of 
Bates,  and  not  twenty  feet  away.  He  was  taken  by  sur- 
prise, fired  a  snap-shot,  and  missed.  It  came  whirling 
toward  me,  directly  in  my  face,  with  the  big  Deer-dog  close 


THE  MULE   DEER.  145 

at  its  heels.  If  I  had  not  moved,  I  think  it  would  have 
jumped  directly  on  me,  or  over  me;  but  seeing  me  as  I 
raised  my  rille,  it  swerved  to  one  side,  and  swept  past  me 
like  the  wind.  I  waited  to  get  the  motion,  and  at  the 
third  jump  pulled  for  the  flank  toward  me.  It  is  four 
years  since,  but  I  can  see  as  distinctly  as  at  the  time  the 
bead  on  the  flank  as  I  pulled.  But,  alas!  I  had  thrown  out 
the  old  cartridge  without  throwing  in  a  new  one,  and  all  the 
answer  to  the  trigger  was  a  dull,  sickening  snap!  I  had  not 
yet  become  used  to  the  mechanism  of  the  new  rifle,  and  in 
my  haste  made  the  error.  The  Deer  went  on  his  way,  and 
I  will  venture  to  say  lay  down  in  his  lair  that  night  the 
worst-scared  Deer  in  the  mountains — what  with  men,  dogs, 
guns,  all  coming  on  him  at  once  in  his  afternoon  nap. 

We  went  up  to  my  Deer  on  the  hill-side,  and  found  it 
a  fine  large  doe.  I  may  here  say,  in  explanation  of  the 
number  of  does  killed,  that  this  was  just  before  rutting- 
time,  when  the  does,  yearlings,  and  fawns  keep  by  them- 
selves and  out  of  the  way  to  avoid  the  bucks,  who  are 
already  seeking  them.  At  the  same  time,  they  are  in  their 
finest  condition  for  meat  of  any  time  in  the  year.  We  had 
bled  and  drawn  her,  and  were  resting  after  our  lunch.  The 
big  boy  looked  pleased,  and  spoke  of  our  good  fortune  of 
the  first  day,  and,  with  his  own  big  heart  and  big  nature, 
was  so  glad  the  luck  of  the  day  had  fallen  to  me. 

' '  But  say,  father,  that  was  a  fine  shot  at  the  other  doe, 
for  a  man  that  hadn't  seen  a  Deer  in  the  woods  for  eighteen 
years." 

"  Oh,"  I  said, "  long  before  you  were  born  I  had  my  turn 
of  buck-fever  at  my  first  Deer,  and  fired  my  rifie  off  into  the 
top  of  a  big  hickory.  It  was  my  vaccination,  and  I  never 
had  it  since.  But  then,  Bates,  about  the  shot;  //  /  liad 
dropped  four  Indies  I  would  have  missed  her,  you  know! " 

He  laughed,  "'Oh,  that's  all  right!  you  didn' t  hapi3en  to 
drop!" 

I  looked  at  the  Deer  before  us.     A  thought  struck  me. 

"  Bates,  this  isn't  the  Deer  I  shot  at  first,  at  all.  This  is 
at  least  a  three- year- old  doe,  and  that  was  a  yearling." 


146  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

"Well,  that  would  be  luck,"  said  he;  "can  you  tell 
where  you  shot  at  it? " 

"  Of  course;  just  beyond  the  last  of  those  big  pines."  We 
went  at  once,  and  there  lay  my  yearling,  stone-dead. 

"Well,  this /*  luck!  Now,  father,  I  understand  why 
your  gun  snapped  on  that  other  Deer.  You  were  elected  to 
miss  it,  for  if  you  had  killed  these  three  Deer  in  three 
shots,  and  all  in  motion,  the  wagon  wouldnH  have  held  you 
doion  going  home!'''' 

So  we  had  our  laugh  again,  and  bled  and  drew  our  Deer. 
Bates  cast  his  eye  up  at  the  declining  sun,  for  it  was  now 
afternoon. 

"Father,  I'll  have  just  time  to  go  to  camp,  get  the 
horses,  and  get  the  Deer  home  before  dark." 

It  was  a  thing  as  much  beyond  me  as  to  pull  up  one  of 
those  pines  and  stand  it  on  its  top;  but  he  is  perfect  in  all 
that  pertains  to  horses  and  woodcraft,  and  as  he  drew  his 
belt  a  hole  tighter,  threw  his  rifle  over  his  shoulder,  caught 
up  old  Tige's  leash,  and  struck  off  in  an  entirelj^  different 
line  from  that  by  which  we  had  come,  I  followed  on,  with 
as  little  sense  and  as  little  hand  in  the  matter  as  he  had 
when  I  rocked  him  in  his  cradle. 

Over  foot-hills,  down  gulches,  across  ridges,  a  half -hour's 
sturdy  tramp,  and  we  paused. 

" Do  you  know  where  you  are?"  said  he. 

And  there  before  me  was  the  camp;  the  horses  at  their 
pickets  in  the  bunch  grass;  the  wagon  in  its  place  as  we 
left  it,  and  our  morning  fire  smoldering,  with  just  enough 
smoke  to  give  it  a  human  look  and  make  one  feel  at  home. 
We  saddled  the  two  cattle-horses;  hung  the  lariats  and 
lash-ropes  in  their  places;  he  mounted  one  and  led  the 
other,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight.  It  was  two  good  miles  to 
our  first  doe,  and  he  told  me  that  he  struck  the  place  within 
ten  rods;  he  loaded  her  on  Jack,  followed  the  ridge  to  the 
other  two,  loaded  them  on  George,  and  just  at  dusk  his 
tall,  mjinly  form  appeared  again  from  the  woods,  afoot  him- 
self, and  leading  the  horses  with  the  game,  seemingly  as 
fresh  as  when  lie  started  in  the  morning.     Such  is  the  vigor 


THE   MULE  DEER.  147 

that  life  in  these  hills  and  in  that  dry,  matchless  climate 
gives  to  the  men  who  live  there. 

Meanwhile,  I  had  not  been  idle.  We  had  brought  the 
livers  of  the  Deer;  and  by  the  time  the  horses  were  unloaded 
and  at  their  pickets  again,  the  coffee,  potatoes,  bread,  onions, 
liver  with  bacon,  were  set,  all  smoking-hot,  before  him. 

The  dark  eyes  glistened,  the  great,  brown  face  flushed,  as 
:he  sight  struck  one  sense  and  the  odor  another,  and  all, 
the  stomach.  He  sat  down,  removed  his  hat,  bent  his  head 
in  reverence  to  the  higher  Father,  and  said: 

"The  word  of  thanks,  father,  and  I  am  ready! " 

It  was  body  and  soul  working  together,  and  every  inch  a 
man!  A  fellow-ranchman  came  to  his  cabin  one  day,  and  said: 

"Mr.  C ,  my  old  mother  is  dead.    She  was  a  Christian 

woman,  and  I  don't  want  to  put  her  in  the  ground  like  the 
cattle  we  bury.  There  isn't  a  minister  within  thirty  miles. 
Your  father  was  a  minister;  you  have  taught  our  Sabbath- 
school.  Would  you  come  and  say  a  word  over  my 
mother? ' ' 

It  was  a  new  experience,  and  the  big  boy  thought  a 
moment. 

"  Whitehead,  I  never  did  anything  of  the  kind;  but  if 
it  was  my  mother — and  I  have  got  one  whom  I  worship — I 
should  feel  as  you  do.  Your  mother  shan't  be  buried  like 
a  dog.  I'll  come."  And  he  went.  As  he  wrote  me  after- 
ward, "I  recalled  the  words  I  had  so  often  heard  you  pro- 
nounce over  the  dead.  All  alone,  I  read  a  passage  of  Script- 
ure, sang  a  verse  of  a  hymn,  said  a  short  j)rayer,  said  the 
'dust  to  dust,'  and  all  was  over.  It  was  a  tight  place, 
father;  all  the  men  and  women  of  the  valley  were  there;  but 
I  thought  of  mother,  and  it  carried  me  through." 

A  rough  young  ranchman  said  to  him,  one  day: 

"  Bates,  we  notice  that  you  will  take  part  with  us  in  our 
sports  ujD  to  a  certain  point,  and  then  you  stoj).  We  won- 
der why. ' ' 

"Jerry,  when  I  left  my  home,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  go 
nowhere  and  take  part  in  nothing  that  would  displease  my 
mother. ' ' 


148  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

The  reader  will  pardon  this  digression;  but  that  was  the 
kind  of  boy  God  had  given  me,  and  that  was  my  companion 
fortius  hunt  in  the  mountains.  In  camp  or  in  cabin,  no 
meal  without  the  word  of  thanks  to  the  Giver. 

"  Father,  have  you  got  the  coffee-pot  fullC  I  am  dried 
up  like  pai)er,  and  I'm  hollow  to  the  knees!  " 

I  knew  whom  1  was  purveying  for,  and  what  had  been  the 
draught  of  the  day  on  that  sturdy  frame.  Indeed,  I  had 
only  to  judge  by  my  own  measure,  and  double  it  for  his. 
There  was  something  of  all  the  dishes  left  when,  after  an 
hour  of  untiring  application,  he  leaned  back,  laid  down  his 
knife  and  fork,  wiped  his  lips,  and  said: 

"  Well,  I  must  call  a  halt,  or  I  shall  be  as  bad  as  old 
Tige  when  he  had  filled  up  on  the  first  Deer's  inwards.  He 
looked  like  a  gyp,  and  near  her  time! " 

This  is  the  restorative  power  of  the  woods.  The  j)ure, 
clear  air;  the  wild,  grand  scenery;  the  manly  tramp,  with 
the  eager  exx)ectancy  of  the  hunter  every  moment;  every 
physical  power  drawn  on,  and  then  all  physical  waste 
repaired  by  the  appetite  that  would  seem  gluttony  at  home; 
then  the  profound,  dreamless  sleej)  of  the  tired  frame  in  the 
hemlock-boughs;  the  flickering  liame  of  the  camp-fire;  the 
sighing  of  winds  through  the  pines;  the  Aveird  sounds  and 
shadows  of  the  woods— all  soothing  the  nerves,  relaxing  the 
muscles,  and  leading  the  mind  into  that  state  which  the 
ancients  beautifully  made  the  province  of  the  twin-brother 
of  death;  but  with  a  daily  resurrection  to  restored  powers, 
instead  of  the  final  one  to  an  endless,  inunortal,  unwearied 
state. 

The  dawning  of  the  following  morning  found  us  in  our 
woods  again,  wholly  restored  from  the  fatigue  of  the  preced- 
ing day,  and  eager  to  follow  up  our  yesterday's  success  by 
another  like  it.  It  was  to  be  Bates'  day  to-day.  While 
the  light  was  yet  dim,  and  a  slight  mist  hung  over  the 
ground,  I  saw,  at  a  good,  fair  distance  from  me,  a  doe 
feeding  from  a  laurel-bush.  Her  head  was  down  in  the 
center  of  the  l)ush,  her  whole  body  outside,  and  per- 
fectlj'  deiined.     I  counted  her  as  good  as  in  my  hand,  and 


THE   MULE   DEER.  149 

aiming  for  the  shoulder,  fired.  When  the  smoke  that  hung 
on  the  damp  morning  air  had  cleared,  no  Deer  was  to  be 
seen.  Yesterday's  experience  had  made  me  overweening, 
and  I  went  forward  very  confident  of  finding  her  stretched 
out  within  a  reasonable  distance.  I  did  not  find  her  stretched 
out  at  any  distance,  and  sending  old  Tige  on  her  trail,  his 
sjDeedy  return  revealed  no  blood  drawn,  and  a  clean  and 
palpable  miss. 

All  riflemen  have  these  unaccountable  misses  in  recollec- 
tion. A  defective  bullet,  a  stray  twig  deflecting,  dim  light, 
a  failure  of  eye  and  finger  to  work  together,  a  raising  or 
depressing  the  gun  as  the  trigger  is  pulled — some  con- 
scious or  unconscious  cause  lies  at  the  bottom  of  misses, 
where  five  out  of  six  shots,  all  day  long,  would  be  fatal.  I 
ascribed  mine  to  the  dim  light.  Past  three-score,  and  shoot- 
ing with  the  naked  eye,  the  chill  morning  air  making  the 
eye  water — perhaps  making  the  finger  numb — something  of 
this  kind  probably  was  at  the  bottom  of  my  erring  shot.  I 
was  sorry;  somewhat  inortified,  and  somewhat  chastened, 
too,  under  the  reflection  that  the  day  before  I  had  been 
utterly  unsatisfied  with  the  two  Deer  I  killed  because  I 
failed  to  kill  the  third. 

Nature  has  her  revenges.  And  Nature  is  a  personal, 
intelligent,  kindly  father,  correcting  our  joride  and  rebuk- 
ing our  ingratitude.  Even  in  the  mountains,  and  on  a  hunt, 
we  may  learn  this. 

We  went  on.  Suddenly,  thumxD!  thump!  thump  I  went 
a  Deer  up  a  steep  acclivity  before  us,  but  too  thickly  cov- 
ered to  allow  us  to  see  him.  Now  was  my  sons  oi)por- 
tunity.  With  bounds  like  that  of  the  Deer  himself,  he 
sprang  forward,  and  caught  sight  of  the  Deer  looking  back 
for  the  cause  of  alarm,  as  is  their  wont,  often.  He  threw 
his  Burgess  to  his  shoulder  and  fired. 

Loosing  Tige  from  the  leash,  he  let  him  free,  and  the 
noble  dog  was  up  the  hill  in  a  moment,  and  out  of  sight. 
We  followed,  breathless,  and  Just  at  the  summit  found  the 
dog  lying  by  the  side  of  the  dead  Deer,  awaiting  our  com- 
ing.    It  was  a  fine,  manly  feat,  tliat  rush  up  the  hill-side; 


150  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

and  it  was  a  perfect  shot,  with  heaving  breath  and  quiver- 
ing pulse,  to  send  a  bullet  directly  through  the  Deer's  most 
vital  part.  My  boy  does  not  praise  himself  much,  but  I 
could  not  withliold  mine. 

Tlie  Deer  bled  and  drawn,  and  dragged  to  a  conspicuous 
place,  we  made  ready  to  jjursue  our  hunt. 

Here  let  me  pause  to  notice  the  thumping  jump  of  this' 
variety  of  Deer.  Mr.  Van  Dyke  and  Judge  Caton  have  both 
called  attention  to  it.  Instead  of  the  long,  swinging  leap 
of  the  common  Deer,  they  make  jumps  in  wliicli  all  their 
legs  seem  to  come  down  together,  and  stiffened  at  the  joints. 
I  think  this  can  be  accounted  for  by  their  habitat — the 
scenes  where  Nature  designed  they  should  live.  This  is  an 
utterly  broken,  often  precipitous,  country,  where  Nature 
seems  to  have  shown  as  much  abhorrence  of  a  piece  of  level 
ground  as  she  is  said  to  have  of  a  vacuum.  It  is  hardly  an 
exaggeration  to  say  that,  in  whole  square  miles  of  the  wild, 
broken,  volcanic  region  inhabited  by  the  Mule  Deer,  one 
can  not  find  a  single  half-acre  of  level  ground — hardly  a 
square  rod.  Steep  hills,  x)recipitous  ridges  and  ledges,  with 
a  crumbling  volcanic  debris  under  foot  at  every  step,  it  is 
I)lain  that  an  animal  like  our  Deer  finds  a  much  surer  foot- 
ing in  a  jumping,  pounding  gait,  than  in  the  free,  clear 
run  witli  which  the  A'irginia  Deer  wings  its  course  over  the 
level  prairies  or  through  the  level  forests.  Nature  is  a 
kindly  mother,  and  she  gives  no  gift  without  a  meaning,  no 
distinction  without  its  use.  Would  that  we  could  feel  it 
for  ourselves! 

Spirits  are  not  finely  touched 
But  to  fine  issues;  nor  Nature  never  lends 
The  smallest  scruple  of  her  excellence; 
But,  like  ii  thrifty  goddess,  she  determines 
Herself  the  glory  of  a  creditor, 
Both  thanks  and  use. 

Bates  is  in  his  element  to-day,  and  shines  in  swift,  pow- 
erful motion,  and  as  a  snap-shot.  Here  I  take  a  back  seat, 
and  am  quite  content.  It  is  meat  we  are  after,  as  the  main 
thing,  and  it  matters  little  to  which  rifle  it  falls.  The  dif- 
fering gifts  are  telling  in  the  main  end. 


THE   MULE  DEER.  151 

An  hour  more  of  slow,  careful  search,  and  no  result; 
when  suddenly  Tige  strains  on  his  leash;  Dash  draws  ahead, 
and  stands  a-point.     Bates  whispers: 

"There's  a  Deer  within  twenty  feet  of  us." 

It  bounds  from  our  very  side;  rushes  down  a  Deer-path 
for  the  woods  below.  I  raise  my  rifle  to  fire  when  it  shall 
clear  some  large  tree-trunks,  when  Bates  throws  up  his 
Burgess,  fires  a  clear  snap-shot,  and  the  Deer  goes  head- 
long down  the  hill-side,  with  a  broken  neck.  It  was 
splendidly  done. 

"Yes,"  said  he;  "but  it  was  a  snap-shot;  I  had  no 
aim." 

"So  much  the  better,  my  boy!  A  rifle  leveled  as  accu- 
rately as  that,  without  aim,  at  an  animal  on  the  jump,  is  a 
better  shot  than  the  best  standing-shot  can  possibly  be." 

The  Deer  proved  a  fine  two-year-old  buck,  in  perfect 
condition,  and  it  made  us  glad. 

It  was  now  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  Bates 
•said: 

"  We  are  about  three  miles  from  camp;  supi)ose  we  make 
a  hunt  that  way,  and  I  can  get  the  horses,  and  get  the  meat 
to  cam})  before  dark." 

We  met  nothing  on  the  way;  and  he  repeated  the  trip  of 
yesterday,  and  I  repeated  the  sux:)per,  over  which  we  were 
both  as  glad  as  before. 

The  next  morning,  as  we  started  out.  Bates  said: 

"I  don't  like  the  appearance  of  the  sky  this  morning.  It 
looks  as  if  there  was  going  to  be  a  fog,  and  that  is  no  joke, 
in  these  mountains.  All  peaks  and  headlands  are  obscured, 
which  are  our  guides  at  other  times.  The  sun  is  hidden 
entirely,  and  for  a  hundred  miles  every  lolace  is  like  every 
other  place,  and  a  man  is  as  safe  to  cam^)  and  remain  still 
as  to  stir  a  step  -safer,  ordinarily — only  they  may  hold  for 
tw^o  or  three  days.  But  we  will  hunt,  the  forenoon,  and  be 
on  the  watch  for  the  mist." 

We  were  going  on  new  ground,  up  a  high,  sloping  ridge 
that  seemed  to  reach  to  the  mountains  beyond.  We  sep- 
arated, for  once,  to  come  together  higher  up,  a  mile  farther 


162 


BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 


on.  A  half -hour  of  careful  walking,  for  signs  were  plenty, 
and  I  came  on  a  track  crossing  mine,  that,  at  fkst,  I  thought 
was  an  Elk's;  but  I  saw,  on  insi)ection,  it  was  a  buck's  of 
the  largest  size.  At  the  same  time.  Dash  drew  on  from 
behind  me,  lifted  his  nose  in  the  air,  and  began  his  cat-like 
creep  that  always  told  of  game  near  by.     I  knew  I  was 


/// 

\ 

A  1 

■M 

I 

% 

A 

V, 

1    :■-    / 

' 

[  - 

.;   Ik 

1 

> 

-m^'- 

: 

y 

L      i 

4 

iliili^UJ  ■ 

A  Portrait. 

directly  on  the  buck,,  but  couhl  see  him  nowhere.  It  was 
now  literally  crawling  with  dog  and  man,  wUen  Dash  sud- 
denly came  to  a  stand-still,  with  nothing  in  sight,  though 
an  absolute  certainty  of  the  game  being  within  half-rifle- 
shot of  me.  The  tension  of  feeling  was  now  almost  painful. 
I  left  Dash  on  his  point,  turned  slowly  around  an  immense 
laurel-bush  which  hid  a  front  view,  and  the  mighty  game 
was  before  me.     He  was  lying  down  in  a  body  of  grass,  and 


THE  MUiffDEER.  153 

we  saw  each  other  at  the  same  moment.  Had  it  been  a  doe 
or  a  yearling,  it  would  have  sprung  from  its  bed  in  an 
instant;  but  an  old  buck,  either  from  a  si:>irit  of  indolence 
or  defiance,  will  often  wait  to  take  a  steady  look,  which 
seals  his  doom.  Raising  my  rifle  slowly  in  another  direc- 
tion, then  swinging  it  swiftly  sidewise,  I  fired  through  the 
grass,  at  the  point  of  his  shoulder.  He  never  rose.  He 
rolled  on  his  side,  and  when  I  came  up — and  it  was  not  six 
rods  off — his  tongue  was  out,  and  his  eye  was  glazing  in 
death.  He  made  one  faint  effort  to  reach  me  with  his  great 
horns,  fell  back,  and  died. 

He  was  a  troi^hy  indeed — six  or  eight  years  old  by  his 
antlers,  in  ]3erfect  condition,  as  riitting-time  had  scarcely 
begun,  and  yet  his  neck  showed  signs  of  the  coming  time. 
As  I  should  judge,  in  averaging  with  the  common  Deer,  he 
was  from  a  fourth  to  a  fifth  larger  than  the  largest  of  that 
variety.  I  was  shooting,  in  those  days,  a  lOO-grain  Sharp's 
shell,  405  of  lead,  and  I  do  not  remember  ever  finding  the 
ball  in  a  Deer  s  body.  This  shot  had  broken  both  shoul- 
ders, the  heavy  spinal  process  between  them,  had  pene- 
trated that  part  of  the  lungs  lying  there,  and  had  gone  out 
at  the  other  side  as  clear  as  it  had  entered  at  the  first.  It  is 
the  most  deadly  cartridge  I  have  ever  found,  for  a  rifie. 

Here  was  a  job  for  me!  It  was  like  tackling  a  steer  in  a 
butcher's  shop,  and  is  really  the  butcher  s  part  in  hunting. 
My  son  was  out  of  sight,  and  I  must  do  it  for  myself. 
I  knew  how,  but  I  always  let  a  comrade  do  it  when  I 
could,  rendering  such  incidental  help  as  I  might;  but  now 
there's  no  help  for  it.  Rolling  my  sleeves  ujd  to  my 
shoulders,  I  plunged  in;  and  when  twenty  minutes  had 
elajDsed,  and  I  looked  at  myself,  with  my  job  completed,  I 
seemed  to  myself  like  a  genuine  man  of  the  shambles.  This 
is  the  really  unpleasant  part  of  Deer-hunting;  but  it  would 
not  be  of  earthly  nature  if  it  had  not  its  drawbacks. 

Stuffing  boughs  between  the  thighs  to  keep  out  the  mag- 
pies, and  tying  my  handkerchief  to  the  horns  to  keep  off 
the  coyotes,  I  rubbed  off  my  stained  arms  to  the  shoulders 
as  best  I  could  (for  I  was  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  any 


164  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMEKICA. 

water),  rolled  down  mj'  sleeves,  took  up  my  rifle,  and 
resumed  my  hunt;  Dash  falling  again  to  heel,  his  head 
always  just  far  enough  ahead  of  my  leg  to  clear  my  scent, 
and  so  he  would  go  all  day  long. 

I  had  gone,  perhaps,  half  a  mile,  when  I  caught  a 
glimpse  of  white  passing  rapidly  into  some  bushes.  I  ran 
ahead,  and  through  the  thicket  saw  the  form  of  a  Deer 
walking  rapidly.  I  threw  up  my  rifle  and  flred,  but  the 
brush  plainly  turned  the  bullet;  for  the  Deer,  a  noble  doe, 
broke  through  the  bushes,  ran  directly  toward  me,  and 
stood  looking  every  way  for  the  quarter  the  noise  had  come 
from.  Her  form  was  crouched,  her  legs  were  bent,  ready 
to  spring;  I  had  barely  time  to  sight  up  to  her  brisket  and 
fire.  She  made  a  few  great  lunges,  and  fell  dead,  not  a  rod 
from  me.  A  fine  fawn  rushed  after  and  i^ast  her.  I  hastened 
on  his  trail,  and  he  stood  looking  back.  It  was  somewhat 
j)itiful,  but  the  dam  was  dead,  it  was  so  much  meat,  and  I 
took  him  in  with  a  broken  neck,  not  to  spoil  his  flesh. 

At  the  shots,  my  son  gave  a  whoop,  which  I  answered, 
and  he  came  bounding  toward  me  with  every  sign  of  alarm. 

"Father,  the  mist  is  coming,  and  before  we  can  get  these 
Deer  prepared,  it  will  be  so  thick  about  us  that  we  can  not 
see  ten  rods.  The  sun  is  hidden  already,  and  we  have  no 
compasses  with  us.    Hurrj^!  " 

And  hurry  we  did.  We  drew  the  Deer  across  a  log  for 
recognition,  and  started  just  short  of  a  run.  Before  we 
reached  my  buck,  the  mist  had  come  rolling  down  the 
mountain-side,  obscuring  everything  at  two  rods'  distance, 
and  turning  the  day  to  night. 

Bates  is  a  brave  boy,  but  now  he  was  alarmed.  We  had 
entered  a  thick  growth  of  black  flr,  where  we  had  to  force 
our  way,  and  where  every  landmark  was  lost,  and  we  could 
not  tell  the  direction  in  which  we  were  going.  Bates 
stopped,  leaned  on  his  gun,  and,  in  a  most  serious  tone, 
said: 

"Father,  we  are  in  a  bad  fix.  All  depends,  no\v,  on  my 
keeping  my  head  level,  or  we  nuiy  have  to  stay  out  days 
and  nights.    Please  don't  give  me  any  counsel,  or  object  to 


THE   MULE   DEER.  155 

an^'thing  I  say  or  do,  for  it  would  confuse  me,  and  then  we 
are  lost  indeed.  I  will  do  my  best,  but  there  was  never 
greater  need." 

1  can  see  him  now,  his  tall  form  drawn  up,  his  features 
working  with  agitation,  and  his  hunter's  eye  unsettled 
and  wavering,  instead  of  fixed  in  an  intensity  which  often 
gave  him  actual  pain  for  days  after  a  hunt.     I  said: 

"Bates,  before  I  take  up  silence,  let  me  say  this:  We 
are  now  on  an  ascent,,  though  very  gradual;  by  keeping  up 
it  as  long  as  it  continues,  it  must  bring  us  to  some  ridge- 
crest  or  hill-top,  which  is  our  only  chance  for  an  outlook  if 
the  fog  should  break  a  little." 

"  It  is  a  good  thought,"  said  he,  "and  may  save  us." 

We  worked  out  of  the  firs  slowly,  up  into  clearer  ground; 
up  still  higher,  into  huge  rocks  which  told  of  a  sunmiit 
near;  then  to  the  summit  itself.  No  hunting  now.  EJk, 
Deer,  Bear,  might  have  freely  crossed  our  track  un- 
scathed. We  were  busied  about  ourselves.  No  outlook, 
even  from  the  summit  we  had  attained;  all  was  enveloped 
in  fog  as  thick  as  night,  although  it  was  barely  noon. 
Bates  said: 

"I  will  climb  that  fir;  perhaps  I  can  see  from  above." 

Sixty  feet  he  went  up  the  dark,  rough  trunk,  and  clung 
among  the  branches.     No  outlook  still. 

"  Bates,  may  I  speak  V^ 

"Yes,  father,  for  I  am  all  at  sea  !  " 

I  never  before  or  since  heard  him  speak  in  the  tone  in 
which  these  words  came  down  to  me. 

"Well,  just  beyond  the  top  of  the  fir  you  are  in  is 
the  faintest  show  of  more  light  in  the  fog  than  elsewhere. 
If  so,  that  is  the  sun,  and  that  is  south,  for  it  is  noon.*' 

"Then,"  he  said,  pointing  his  finger,  "that  is  east,  and 
there  is  our  camj).  Now,  don't  lose  the  direction  till  I  get 
down,  for  I  can't  keep  it  up  here." 

He  came  down;  I  gave  him  the  direction — it  was  all  our 
hope.  By  keeping  near  objects  directly  ahead  of  us,  and 
moving  carefully  from  one  to  another,  an  hour  brought  us  to 
a  black  cattle-horse  standing  at  his  stake,  with  head  droop- 


166  BIG   GAME   OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

ing,  and  body  dripping  with  the  rain-like  mist.  He  gave  a 
faint  neigh,  and  my  son  exclaimed: 

"  Father,  it's  Jack!  It's  dear  old  Jack,  and  we  are  safe 
home ! ' ' 

Then,  grasping  my  hand,  he  said: 

"  Father,  God  bless  you !  you  didn't  bother  me  to-day ! " 

To  show  how  serious  the  matter  was,  the  other  two  of 
our  company  got  lost,  and  wandered  off  west;  after  laying 
out  all  night,  they  fell  in  with  some  Indians,  who  fed  them 
and  set  them  right.  They  had  to  travel  forty  miles  to  reach 
the  ranch  and  cabin  that  day. 

We  had  now  all  the  meat  we  could  carry.  We  were 
anxious  above  measure  for  our  lost  comrades;  so,  as  the 
mist  gave  way  next  morning,  after  securing  our  buck,  doe, 
and  fawn  from  the  hills,  we  started  home.  Our  suspense 
w^as*  breathless  as  we  neared  the  cabin  and  looked  for  some 
sign  of  occupancy.  My  son's  partner  opened  the  door,  and 
Bates  exclaimed: 

"  Oh,  Porter,  I  was  never  so  glad  to  see  you  before  !  " 

To  show  the  force  of  Bates'  caution  to  me  not  to  advise 
him  or  debate  with  him,  Porter  said  his  companion  totally 
confused  him  with  suggestions,  doubts,  opposition,  till 
finally  he  had  to  take  his  own  way,  even  if  he  left  the  other 
to  die  in  the  woods. 

The  scene  has  changed.  Another  summer  has  gone; 
another  November  has  come.  My  stalwart  boy  has  gone 
East  to  get  him  a  wife;  his  partner  and  the  carpenters  are 
building  him  a  house,  and  I  have  undertaken  to  provide  the 
meat  with  my  ritie.  And  it  is  still  with  the  Mule  Deer  that 
we  have  to  do.  Of  all  the  camps  I  have  ever  made,  this  was 
the  most  delightful,  and  has  the  most  vivid  and  lasting 
remembrance.  xVt  the  head  of  a  great  canon  running  six 
miles  down  to  the  Burnt  River  Valley;  my  umbrella-tent 
pitched  under  a  noble  pine,  around  whose  base  swept  the 
cold,  clear  mountain  stream  from  which  my  water-suj)ply 
for  drinking  and  washing  was  derived;  other  pines  in  all 
directions,  clothing  the  shallow  valleys  putting  down  into 


THE   MULE  DEER.  157 

this  larger  one;  a  great,  fallen  dry  pine  near  my  tent,  fur- 
nishing me  a  back-log  for  a  month,  while  abundance  of 
dead  branches  and  dry  alder  cover  the  ground;  at  the  head, 
and  beyond,  other  ravines — rare  hunting-grounds,  especially 
over  the  divide,  where  is  an  immense  canon,  five  hundred  feet 
deep,  and  clothed  on  its  rugged  sides  to  the  very  toj)  with 
all  food  that  sustains  the  Deer;  on  all  sides,  over  the  small 
foot-hills,  grew  abundant  bunch-grass  for  my  horse,  who 
could  always  be  picketed  in  sight;  clear,  crisp,  ox)en 
weather — for  weeks  together,  the  autumn  sun  without  a 
cloud.  All  that  enters  into  the  making  a  jjerf ect  camp  and 
perfect  sport  existed  there;  and,  in  physical  sense,  life  itself 
was  a  luxurj^,  as  the  scene  around  and  above  was  a  glory. 

A  ranchman  friend,  living  in  the  valley  at  the  end  of  my 
canon,  was  my  comx^anion  for  a  day,  as  he  was  my  guide  to 
the  spot.  It  was  four  o'clock  when  we  had  pitched  the 
tent,  arranged  horses  and  wood  for  the  night.  Reed  cast 
his  eye  up  at  the  sun: 

"Mr.  C ,  the  sun  is  an  hour  high;  we  have  time  to 

kill  a  Deer  before  night.  I  have  seen  whole  bands  from  the 
very  s^iot  where  we  stand." 

It  seemed  incredible  to  me;  the  woods  were  so  open,  so 
I)ark-like  and  civilized,  that  it  seemed  to  me  much  as  if  one 
should  say  that  we  could  find  a  Deer  on  a  farm  within  sight 
of  Chicago.     I  was  soon  to  be  undeceived. 

' '  Now,  you  take  that  swale  coming  into  this  from  the 
west,  and  I  will  take  the  one  to  the  east,  and  we  will  be  in 
camp  by  dusk." 

Absolutely,  I  took  up  my  rifle  as  if  I  were  going  to  look 
for  a  Deer  in  a  highway  or  on  a  farm.  I  was  yet  within 
sight  of  my  tent;  my  friend  had  Just  passed  out  of  sight. 
I  let  my  rifle  down  from  my  shoulder,  and  began  to  think 
which  way  I  should  look  for  a  Deer,  when  right  before 
me,  at  a  few  hundred  yards,  stood,  broadside  to  me  and 
looking  at  me,  the  most  princely  buck  I  ever  saw!  He  had 
just  come  down  the  ravine,  probably  with  his  nose  to  the 
ground  on  a  doe's  track,  for  his  head  was  but  half -raised 
and  turned  sidewise  to  look  at  me.     His  massive,  branch- 


158  BIG   GAME   OF   TfORTH   AMERICA. 

ing  antlers  stood  proudly  out  from  his  head,  while  his 
whole  fonu  was  limned,  as  if  by  art,  against  the  steep  hill- 
side at  tlie  foot  of  wliich  he  stood.  I  could  hardly  trust  my 
eyes;  under  all  the  circumstances,  it  actually  seemed  an 
illusion.  I  raised  my  rifle  slowly,  aimed  for  his  heart,  and 
tired.  He  made  a  wheel  of  twenty  feet  up  the  steej)  hill- 
side, and  was  out  of  sight. 

Could  it  be  ?  At  a  hundred  yards,  dead-still,  and  miss 
an  animal  like  that!  And  I  felt  like  kicking  myself,  as  I 
went  forward,  to  think  I  must  fall  into  my  old  training  of 
early  life,  and  aim  behind  the  shoulder,  instead  of  for  the 
shoulder  itself,  and  dropping  him  where  he  stood.  But 
there  was  blood  where  he  wheeled,  and  hair,  as  if  puffed 
out  on  the  opposite  side.  Courage!  it  was  not  a  miss,  then; 
I  may  get  him  yet.  I  sent  Dash  on  his  trail.  With  a  rush 
he  sprang  up  the  hill-side,  and  when  I  had  clambered  up, 
he  too  was  out  of  sight;  Deer  and  dog  both  gone!  Getting 
breath,  I  turned  to  the  left,  and  there,  in  a  little  gully,  lay 
dead  my  noble  game,  with  my  dog  gnawing  into  his  back, 
in  his  instinct  to  fetcli!  I  have  Elk-skins  and  Deer-skins 
which  are  thus  marked  and  bare. 

The  great  dpe  was  noble;  but  this  is  princely!  No  such 
creature,  save  a  bull  Elk,  had  ever  fallen  to  my  rifle.  I 
bled  him  as  he  lay;  then  took  him  by  the  massive  horns 
and  slid  him  down  the  steep  incline,  to  draw  him  at  better 
advantage  at  the  foot.  The  bullet  had  gone  directly  through 
his  heart;  he  had  used  the  one  inhalation  in  his  lungs,  the 
one  pulsation  of  his  blood,  for  the  burst  up  the  hillock, 
then  had  rolled,  dead,  into  the  hollow. 

My  friend,  hearing  my  shot,  came  up.  He  looked  at  the 
mighty  game  in  astonishment. 

'•  Mr.  C ,"  he  said,  "  I  have  lived  in  this  valley  fifteen 

years,  and  that  is  the  biggest  Deer  I  have  ever  seen!  He  will 
weigh  a  good  three  hundred  i)ounds  when  he  is  drawn." 

We  gralloched  him,  secured  him  for  the  night,  and,  sure 
enough,  were  back  at  the  tent  as  the  sun  was  dipping 
below  the  horizon.  To  this  day,  it  seems  to  me  as  if  I  had 
shot  a  Deer  in  a  street  or  a  ])asture. 


THE   MULE   DEEK.  159 

By  this  animal,  I  saw  that  the  antlers  are  no  sure  criterion 
of  the  age  or  size  of  a  Deer.  Those  of  this  immense  creature 
were  comparatively  small;  I  have  killed  bucks  of  not  two- 
thirds  his  weight  with  much  larger  antlers. 

This  was  beginning  our  hunt  in  good  fashion.  We  had 
liver  for  supper  and  breakfast;  and  there  is  no  better  meat 
to  satisfy  the  appetite  or  to  tramp  on.  Daylight  saw  us 
astir,   and  headed  for  the  great  ravine  east  of  us.     My 


friend  preferred  to  walk  along  the  brow;  so  I  took  a  lower 
line,  though  having  more  uneven  ground  to  get  over,  while 
he  passed  all  the  ravines  at  their  head. 

I  was  repaid.  After  about  half  a  mile  of  toilsome  up-and- 
down  climbing,  I  heard  Reed"  s  gun  to  my  left.  I  rushed 
wp  the  incline  before  me,  just  in  time  to  see  two  fine  year- 
lings at  which  he  had  shot,  and  which  now  stood  looking 
at  me.  I  fired  for  the  shoulder  of  the  largest;  lie  made 
three  or  four  violent  plunges,  and  went  headlong  and  dead 


100  BIG   GAME   OF   XOnTII    AMERICA. 

against  a  large  pine-log.  The  other  passed  out  of  sight. 
This  was  good.  I  bled  and  drew  my  Deer,  laid  him  across 
a  log,  and  started  on  a  return  hunt,  and  to  get  my  horse  to 
bring  him  in. 

A  couple  of  Antelope  drew  me  out  of  the  way,  and  it  was 
afternoon  before  I  got  in,  and  just  at  the  camp  I  met  my 
friend,  with  my  Deer  and  one  of  his  own  on  his  horse.  He 
had  shot  a  line  two-year-old  buck,  had  come  across  mine 
also,  and  brought  them  both  in.  Such  things,  dear  reader, 
make  a  man  feel  good-natured. 

It  was  yet  but  four  o'clock,  and  we  laid  out  for  a  regu- 
lar meal.  Reed  was  an  adept  at  flajD-jacks;  I  undertook  the 
coffee,  the  tongue,  the  liver,  the  tenderloin,  with  Saratoga 
chips — and,  above  all,  onions,  for  Reed  said: 

"  I  can  eat  onions  till  I  can't  see!  " 

The  dogs  had  had  their  surfeit  in  the  hunt;  and  when  we 
had  mused  before  the  waning  lire  till  dusk  set  in,  had  gone 
over  the  pleasant  incidents  of  the  day,  and  other  days,  and 
when  we  were  rolled  in  our  blankets,  there  were  two  men 
in  that  tent  who  had  nothing  to  ask  of  anyone,  and  were  at 
peace  with  the  Avorld. 

Next  morning  we  loaded  our  Deer  on  the  two  horses,  and 
set  out,  afoot,  for  Reed's  home,  where  I  Avas  to  dex:)Osit  my 
Deer  for  my  son's  i)artner  to  carry  along  as  he  came  with 
lumber  from  the  mill.  I  was  loath  to  go  back  to  my  tent 
alone  that  night,  and  did  not.  My  friend  and  his  good  wife 
insisted  on  my  staying  over  the  night.  I  did  so.  Putting 
my  sliotgun  together,  I  got  half  a  dozen  widgeon  from  the 
river — a  rarity  to  them,  for  they  keep  nothing  but  a  ritle. 
With  many  a  tale  of  the  great  outside  world,  and  music  on 
the  i)iccolo,  I  managed  to  make  my  entertainment  not  a 
burden. 

The  forenoon  of  the  next  day  saw  me  at  my  camp  again, 
old  George  staked  out  in  the  bunch-grass,  my  lunch  eaten, 
and  the  hunt  for  the  day  taken  up;  for  it  was  meat,  now, 
for  four  men  and  a  woman,  and  I  had  undertaken  to  supply 
the  larder.  I  felt  the  solitude  a  little  at  first,  for  Reed 
M'as  a  genial,  intelligent  man,  and  his  company  was  i^leasant. 


THE  MULE   DEER.  161 

This  clay  was  to  show  me  the  value  of  my  dog.  Almost 
every  day — indeed,  every  day — the  wind  swept  up  the  great 
east  ravine,  and  over  its  brow.  Instead  of  going  along  the 
brow,  where  I  was  at  all  times  liable  to  be  seen  myself,  I 
kept  back  a  little,  out  of  sight,  and  left  all  to  the  nose  of 
my  dog.  He  answered  to  the  trust.  He  was  the  most 
beautiful  dog  I  ever  saw — of  far-famed  strain,  with  every 
instinct  of  the  high-bred  Setter  born  in  him.  I  never  had  to 
teach  him  either  to  stand  or  retrieve;  he  did  both  by  virtue 
of  his  blood  and  birth.  It  was  noon  as  I  now  skirted  the 
ravine  just  back  from  its  edge.  The  wind  came  gently  and 
freshly  over  the  brow;  the  sun  shone  out  brightly  from  the 
sky;  the  air  was  pure  as  the  mountain  stream  beneath  it, 
and  motion  itself  was  a  pleasure.  All  at  once.  Dash  stepped 
out  from  me,  raised  his  nose  a  moment,  and  stole  toward 
the  brow.  There  he  stood,  while  I  stepped  beyond,  and 
saw  one  of  the  sights  that  make  a  sportsman' s  nerves  tingle, 
and  set  all  his  blood  aglow. 

About  fifteen  rods  down  the  steep  hill-side  w^as  a  proces- 
sion, in  line,  of  two  does,  a  large  buck,  and  two  yearlings  or 
fawns  behind.  None  saw  me,  and  I  had  time  for  a  choice. 
From  the  buck's  neck,  I  saw  that  he  was  in  his  full  run, 
and  unfit  for  use.  The  does  would  be  perfect.  The  two  in 
front  were  walking  ra^oidly,  and  I  was  waiting  for  them  to 
pause,  when,  looking  ahead,  a  much  larger  doe,  and  evi- 
dently the  leader  of  the  band,  was  standing,  cropping  grass. 
I  swung  my  rifle  ahead,  and,  in  my  old  instinct  and  folly, 
fired  low,  for  her  heart.  In  an  instant  all  was  commotion. 
I  fired  again,  without  effect,  when  the  whole  band  went  out 
of  sight.  I  went  down  for  my  doe.  There  was  blood,  there 
was  hair,  but  no  doe  in  sight.  I  followed  in  the  line  she  was 
taking,  but  found  no  sign.  I  returned  to  the  spot  where 
she  had  stood,  when  I  noticed  the  gentle  face  of  Dash  turned 
wistfully  up  to  mine. 

"  Dash,  where  is  she  ;! " 

With  a  bound,  he  sprang  down  the  hill-side,  and  beyond 

him   I  saw^  my  doe  lying  dead.     She  had  made  one  vast 

spring  of  thirty  feet  down  as  the  bullet  struck  her,  and 
11 


162  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMEKICA. 

fallen  headlong  and  dead.  It  was  a  case  of  the  heait  again, 
for  that  organ  was  mere  clotted  blood  when  I  came  to  draw 
her.  It  was  again  a  fine  animal,  in  j^erfect  coat  and  condi- 
tion; and  again  I  was  glad.  It  was  hnnting,  it  was  shoot- 
ing, it  was  meat;  but,  more  than  all,  it  was  the  fine  work  of 
my  beautiful  dog.  I  had  time  to  go  to  camp  for  old  George, 
to  ride  back  for  my  Deer,  to  load  it  on  and  lead  him  to 
camp,  before  it  was  time  for  supper.  It  was  again  a  satis- 
factory day;  and  I  slept  soundly  over  its  success  and  its 
review. 

I  had  occasion  here  to  notice  again  and  particularly 
the  stiff,  tliu:ni3ing  jumps  peculiar  to  the  Mule  Deer,  and 
marking  him  from  his  congener,  the  Virginia  Deer,  with  its 
free,  graceful,  elastic  lope.  The  old  buck  was  of  immense 
size  and  weight,  and  carried  horns  that  would  have  been  a 
trophy  little  short  of  those  of  a  bull  Elk.  While  the  does 
and  young  Deer  were  bounding  around  in  easy  springs 
that  soon  took  them  outside,  the  lord  of  the  band  wheeled 
backward  with  a  few  pounding  jumps;  then  back  again  to 
the  same  point;  then,  with  the  same  stiffened  and  ungrace- 
ful action,  down  the  hill -side  and  out  of  sight.  I  could 
have  shot  him  repeatedly,  but  the  great,  swollen  neck  pro- 
claimed him  in  the  midst  of  his  season.  I  must  sleep  with 
myself  at  night,  and  could  not  do  it  in  peace,  thinking  of 
the  carcass  of  a  great  and  noble  animal  shot  merely  for 
slaughter,  and  left,  tainted  already  while  living,  to  rot  on 
the  face  of  the  hill. 

There  is  one  subject  connected  with  hunting,  and  the 
forest  and  mountain,  the  very  thought  of  which  makes  the 
blood  boil,  and  one's  whole  better  nature  revolt  in  indig- 
nation. It  is  the  wanton  slaughter  of  our  nobler  game. 
For  the  paltriest  pay,  for  no  i)ay  at  all,  in  mere  thirst  for 
blood,  in  mere  love  of  killing,  the  inhuman  work  has  gone 
on,  till  Bison,  Elk,  Mountain  Sheep,  have  gone  down  before 
the  fell  demon  of  greed  and  blood,  and  can  onlj^  now  be 
found  in  the  loneliest,  most  inaccessible  recesses  of  the 
mountains.  The  editor  of  the  present  work,  in  his  "  Cruis- 
ings  in  the  Cascades,"  has  given  us  a  scene  of  this  kind — 


THE   MULE  DEER.  163 

the  biped  slaughterer  and  the  prostrate  victims — a  whole 
band  of  Elk;  and  it  stirs  every  better  element  of  one's 
nature  to  loathing  for  the  creatures  who  disgrace  their  kind. 

An  instance  occurs  to  me.  I  will  give  it  in  the  words  of 
the  hunter  wlio  told  it  to  me: 

"Mr.  C ,  1  have  been  a  hunter  in  the  mountains  all 

my  life,  and  have  lived  among  rough  men;  but  the  hardest- 
hearted,  the  worst  man  I  ever  met,  was  an  Englishman  for 
whom  I  was  guide  and  liunter  in  Western  Colorado,  a  few 
years  ago.  He  was  full  of  money ;  had  a  splendid  outfit  of 
double-barreled  rifles  and  shotguns,  and  all  things  needed 
for  hunting,  and  had  come  clear  from  England  to  break  the 
record  on  the  greatest  number  of  heads  of  game  within  a 
certain  time.  He  hired  me  and  three  others  to  go  with  him, 
and  we  were  all  to  play  into  his  hands  to  kill  all  we  could 
in  a  certain  time.  I  am  ashamed  to  say  how  many  Elk  and 
Deer  were  killed  and  left,  all  to  rot  as  they  fell — not  even 
bled  or  drawn.  It  Avas  money  to  us,  and  plenty  of  it,  and  I 
was  poor;  but,  as  long  as  I  live,  I  shall  feel  that  that  Eng- 
lishman was  more  a  devil  than  a  man.  He  was  the  only 
man  I  ever  knew,  of  all  the  rough  class  even  in  these  mount- 
ains, that  enjoyed  giving  pain;  and  I  will  say  that,  anyway, 
for  the  honor  of  the  rest  of  us.  One  day  he  had  shot  a 
Mule  doe  through  the  hijDS,  and  she  lay  walloA^ang  on  the 
ground,  and  bleating  with  fear  as  we  came  up  to  her.  The 
Englishman  stood  over  her,  and  laughed  aloud  to  see  her 
fear  and  her  pain.  Then  he  shot  her  in  different  parts  of 
her  body  where  it  would  not  kill  her,  and  laughed  and 
ha-ha  d  to  see  her  jump  at  the  shot,  and  flounder  and  cry  out 
with  the  new  pain.  At  last  the  poor  creature  stretched  out 
her  legs  full  length,  her  eye  glazed,  and  with  a  quiver  over 
her  whole  body,  she  died.  And  he  burst  out  again  in 
laughter,  and  shouted,  'This  is  the  greatest  sport  yet! '    As 

sure  as  God  made  me,  Mr.  C ,  I  felt  for  a  minute  that 

the  dead  doe  was  the  better  creature  of  the  two,  and  I  felt 
almost  ashamed  that  I  was  a  man!  '' 

Now,  what  penalty  would  be  adeqtiate  for  the  deed  of 
this  butcher,  this  human  fiend  !     I  am  a  minister,  and  have 


164  BIG   GAME   OK   NORTH   AMERICA. 

preached  the  Gospel  for  forty  years;  but  I  felt,  as  I  heard 
the  awful  tale,  that,  laying  law  and  Gospel  aside — or, 
rather,  carrying  both  with  me — I  would  have  been  glad  to 
be  one  of  a  company  to  strip  this  creature  of  his  arms,  pile 
them  and  him  into  his  wagon,  guard  them  to  the  nearest 
railway  station,  and  start  him  East,  witli  the  assurance  tliat 
if  he  showed  himself  in  the  mountains  again,  there  would 
be  one  hunting-season,  at  least,  in  which  he  uould  not  be 
fit  to  shoot  game  for  the  crows,  nor  laugh  over  the  pains  he 
had  inflicted  on  a  dying  doe.  I  have  since  seen  this  state- 
ment in  i^rint;  and  I  am  only  sorry  that  the  ruffian's  name 
could  not  have  been  secured  and  sent  to  the  London  Times 
and  London  Field,  to  be  x>osted  over  England;"^  for,  after 
all,  at  the  bottom,  Englishmen  are,  as  a  class,  humane,  and 
love  fair  play  for  man  and  beast. 

Even  a  fair-minded  man  becomes  vindictive  over  this 
thing,  in  spite  of  himself;  so  that,  in  reminiscences,  a  scene 
like  the  one  referred  to  from  "Coqnina's"  book  stirs  the 
blood,  and  wakens  all  the  disgust  Jind  the  anger  over  again. 
Hunting  Mountain  Sheep,  one  day  we  came  on  a  skin- 
hunter's  cabin  of  the  year  before.  There,  lying  in  a  fester- 
ing heap,  were  forty  carcasses  of  this  beautiful  and  rare 
animal,  from  which  nothing  but  the  pelt  had  been  taken. 
I  felt,  on  the  moment,  that  if  I  should  see  a  monarch  ram 
butt  the  creature  from  a  precipice,  I  should  hardly  feel 
regret  that  a  human  being  had  been  killed. 

Laws  !  We  make  laws  when  the  game  is  gone.  "We 
leave  the  laws  to  enforce  themselves,  as  if  they  were  sen- 
tient, active  beings.  We  leave  execution  of  the  law  to 
private  comi)laint.  where  it  may  lose  one  his  neighbor,  or  a 
vote  at  a  coming  election.  I  have  lived  to  see  my  beautiful 
prairies  of  Iowa  denuded  of  their  grouse,  for  the  accursed 
greed  of  Eastern  game-dealers  and  tlie  glutton  maws  of 
those  they  break  laws  for,  and  tlirow  conscience,  honor, 
citizensliip.  to  the  winds.     I  have  lived  to  see  the  i)rairies 

♦From  tin-  circuiiisUincos  luiiiicil,  I  iiiii  of  tlu'  opinion  tliat  tlieliiitolierreforred  tohereis 
one  .Jamison.  I  luivc  f)ftt'n  licanl  of  liiin  iK-foiv,  from  jrniili's  who  liavo  luiiited  with  liim, 
and  have  taken  a  Ki'fat  deal  of  s.itisfaetioii  in  exposing  and  deuouncLug  his  inhuman  con- 
duct in  thecohinins  of  the  Aiiurican  Fiiid .—'Eiiwou. 


THE   MULE   DEER.  165 

swept,  as  by  a  besom,  of  their  countless  Bison,  in  the  face 
of  law,  and  of  the  higher  and  sacred  law  stamped  on  all 
animate  nature.  I  have  lived  to  see  the  Elk  driven  from 
the  Mississippi  to  the  most  remote  and  loneliest  recesses  of 
the  mountains,  and  only  saved  in  the  Yellowstone  Park  by 
the  United  States  Army  !  Of  all  civilized  nations,  we  are 
the  slowest  to  enact  laws  when  our  j)ersons  and  pockets 
are  not  concerned.  Of  all  civilized  nations,  we  are  the 
weakest  to  execute  the  laws  we  do  make,  when  still  our  own 
persons  or  pockets  are  not  touched.  Our  game  laws  are  a 
mere  empty  form,  and  their  execution  is  a  farce  ! 

Now,  to  return  to  the  stiifened  jumps  and  gait  of  the 
Mule  Deer.  That  whole  canon-side,  for  five  hundred  feet 
down,  was  a  steep  slope  of  volcanic  debris  and  sliding  shale. 
To  go  down  was  a  slide;  to  go  up  was  a  climb;  and  this 
answers  fairly,  as  I  have  said  before,  for  the  face  of  the 
whole  country.  Can  we  not  see  that  the  stiffened  jump  of 
a  Sheep  or  a  Goat,  that  sets  the  feet  firmly  at  every  bound, 
is  better  for  our  Deer  than  the  long,  swinging  leap  that 
regards  surface  merely,  and  would  leave  the  animal  to  con- 
stant slipping  and  many  a  fall  % 

The  next  morning  I  was  to  have  a  picture  again,  and  one 
which  time  and  years  do  not  efface.  I  was  out  early,  at 
daylight;  but  a  mile  and  a  half  along  our  canon  had  brought 
no  scent  to  my  gentle  companion,  and  so  no  need  to  look 
down  into  the  deep,  dark  gulf  which  the  daylight  had  not 
yet  reached.  The  sun  had  just  risen  above  the  horizon,  full, 
round,  and  red,  and  seemed  three  times  his  natural  size,  in 
the  morning  mist  which  yet  hung  over  mountain  and  valley. 
I  had  come  to  a  knoll,  or  mound,  some  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
high,  over  the  very  brow  of  which  the  sun  appeared  as  I 
have  described,  when  right  across  the  great,  red  disc  stepped 
the  form  of  a  noble  buck,  and  stopped.  Had  I  had  a 
camera,  I  should  have  been  in  doubt  whether  it  was  a  case 
for  the  rifle  or  the  camera.  His  noble  antlers  and  upraised 
head  and  neck  cleared  the  disc,  but  his  shoulders  were 
directly  across  it,  and  it  showed  bright  and  clear  above  and 
below  his  body,  behind  his  shoulders.     It  was  wonderful. 


166  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

it  was  beautiful,  and  for  a  moment  I  almost  forgot  the  busi- 
ness in  hand.  But  this  is  a  panorama  that  is  not  lasting — 
a  buck  and  a  hunter  looking  one  another  in  the  face,  not 
live  rods  apart.  I  had  taken  him  as  niucli  by  surj^rise  as 
he  had  me,  and,  with  an  old  buck's  usual  manner,  he 
l^aused  for  a  moment  to  see  what  was  up;  it  was  only  to 
learn  what  was  down. 

I  raised  my  rifle  slowly,  but  the  moment  it  ranged  on  his 
body  it  met  the  sun-glare,  and  I  could  not  see  the  sight — 
hardly  the  muzzle.  I  lowered  to  the  ground  again,  took 
sight  there,  raised  to  a  level,  and  fired.  The  buck  wheeled, 
and  was  out  of  sight.  Of  course !  Even  a  barn-door  is  not 
hit  by  merely  pointing  one's  gun;  and  I  worked  in  another 
cartridge,  and  started  up  the  mound.  Just  over  the  crest 
lay  the  gallant  stag,  stretched  out  and  dead.  My  gun, 
after  all,  had  been  leveled  at  his  heart — one  wheel,  a  fall, 
and  all  was  over. 

Now,  just  think  of  the  variety  of  incident  in  hunting — 
one  of  the  things  that  give  it  constant  charm  I  No  two  of 
the  Deer  I  had  shot  had  been  killed  under  the  same  con- 
ditions; and  this  fine  creature  had  fallen  to  me  in  a  way 
that  would  not  happen  twice  in  a  life-time.  And  here  let  me 
say,  that  I  am  writing  actual  facts,  not  fiction — things  that 
actually  occurred,  and  xu'ecisely  as  I  state  them.  My  pur- 
suit of  the  Mule  Deer  has  been  under  such  favoring  circum- 
stances that  I  have  nothing  to  invent  or  to  make  up  in 
writing  about  him.  I,  perhaps,  ought  to  have  stated  this 
definitely  before,  but  hope  that  it  was  not  needed. 

And  was  he  not  a  beautiful  creature  as  lie  lay  there!  He 
had  died  literally  without  pain,  for  the  ball  had  broken  no 
bones,  and,  passing  through  his  heart,  had  given,  probably, 
no  sensation.  This  is  always  a  satisfaction  in  our  killing. 
Thus  far  every  Deer  had  been  dead  when  I  came  up  to  it, 
and  I  had  no  second  shooting  to  do  to  put  them  out  of  pain. 
It  is  a  great  relief. 

After  I  had  bled  my  Deer,  I  sat  down  to  look  at  him, 
before  the  unpleasant  second  act.  He  was  rolling  in  fat  and 
of  perfect  coat  and  form,  about  five  or  six  years  old,  Judg- 


THE    MULE    DEElt.  167 

ing  from  size  and  antlers  and  the  number  of  points  he 
carried.  The  rutting-season  had  not  fairly  reached  him  yet, 
though  the  signs  of  its  coming  were  not  wanting. 

On  this  Deer,  the  most  striking  markings,  to  me,  have 
always  been  the  deep  jet-black  of  the  brisket  and  belly, 
and  the  rich  cinnamon  of  all  the  legs  from  the  knees  down. 
Notice,  too,  the  stouter,  shorter  legs  and  longer  body  than 
those  of  our  common  Deer — all  designed  for  that  jjeculiar 
gait  and  motion  wliich  so  fit  him  for  his  home  among  the 
rough,  volcanic  hills.  The  short,  stout  legs  bear  the  pound- 
ing jump;  the  pounding  jump  sinks  the  foot  into  the  loose 
debris  or  sets  it  firmly  on  the  rocks,  and  gives  firm  hold  for 
the  next  jump;  and  the  whole  form  bespeaks  an  animal 
needing  sure  foot-hold  rather  than  grace  of  motion  or  si3eed. 
And  this  glossy,  satin,  steel-mixed  coat  is  excelled  by  that 
of  none  of  the  genus  CercldcB. 

I  am  three  miles  from  camp.  To  go  for  old  George  and 
get  my  Deer  to  camp  will  fairly  take  up  my  day.  Once  in 
camp,  I  rest  for  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon,  content 
with  my  success  and  its  singular  incidents.  I  am  lonely 
to-night.  Our  nature  craves  fellowship  of  its  kind,  and  I 
have  no  admiration  for  hermit  life,  and  the  monastic,  with 
its  revolt  against  nature  and  its  certain  results,  was  alwaj'^s 
revolting. 

To  get  my  Deer  down  to  the  road,  and  get  back  to  camp 
again,  took  up  most  of  my  time  next  day,  but  my  good 
luck  was  still  to  stay  with  me.  Aliev  a  hearty  afternoon 
dinner,  I  still  had  an  hour  or  two  of  light,  and  decided  to 
use  it.  Just  west  of  my  camp,  half  a  mile,  was  a  shallow 
canon,  with  but  few  trees,  quite  rough  and  rocky,  and  yet  I 
had  seen  much  sign  of  Deer  there — some  shrubs,  perhaps, 
or  alkali  earth,  of  which  they  are  fond;  but  I  had  never 
found  any  there  in  fact.  To-night,  as  I  drew  near  the  head, 
somewiiat  carelessly,  for  I  did  not  look  for  much,  a  large 
buck  and  three  does  ran  out  from  a  thicket,  while  I  was 
yet  four  hundred  yards  away. 

I  hear  and  read  a  great  deal  about  "pumping your  Win- 
chesters or  Bullards  at  them"  till  you  hit  one,  but  it  has 


168  BIG   GA.MK   OF    NOllTII    AMERICA. 

never  been  a  kind  of  shooting  to  suit  me.  It  is  entirely 
chance,  and  where  one  animal  is  killed,  more  by  far  go  away 
wounded  to  die.  I  like  the  fair,  clean  shot,  when,  if  I  hit, 
I  kill;  if  I  miss,  the  Deer  can  live  on  unharmed.  For 
once,  I  thought  I  would  try  the  "pumping"  system.  Rais- 
ing my  rifle  some  two  feet  above  the  head  of  the  largest 
doe,  I  lired,  hoping  that,  somewhere,  in  the  drop  to  the 
shoulder,  I  might  hit  her.  The  whole  band  gave  a  new 
spring  at  the  shot,  and  I  elevated  and  tired  again.  Nothing 
dropx)ed,  and  all  swei)t  out  of  sight. 

It  was  getting  dusk,  and  1  had  turned  for  camp,  when  I 
saw,  far  up  on  the  foot-hill  to  mj^  right,  a  single  doe  moving 
in  my  own  direction,  but  for  the  brow  of  the  ridge.  She 
passed  over  it  and  out  of  sight.  It  was  three  hundred  feet, 
and  a  hill  so  steep  that  I  must  pull  myself  along  by  bushes 
part  of  the  way  to  get  up.  But  she  ma^^  have  stopped 
Just  over  the  crest,  and  by  careful  work  I  may  get  a  shot 
yet.  At  any  rate,  the  wooded,  shallow  canon  over  the 
ridge  will  make  a  pleasant  walk  home.  I  take  the  climb. 
Toes,  hands,  and  knees,  bushes,  the  butt  of  my  ritle  for  a 
brace — all  come  in  requisition  before  I  reach  the  tojj,  just 
short  of  which  I  stop  to  get  breath  and  wipe  my  steaming 
face.  Gradually  the  breath  gets  normal,  the  nerves  grow 
steady,  and  I  move  slowly  to  the  tojo. 

It  is  now  quite  dusk,  and  l)ut  for  the  height  of  the  ridge, 
I  should  not  have  light  to  shoot.  As  I  readied  the  rounded 
crest  and  peered  over,  there,  not  forty  feet  from  me,  was 
my  Deer,  lying  down  in  the  deep  grass  for  the  night.  I 
sighted  for  her  shoulder,  through  the  grass,  and  at  the  shot 
she  rolled  over  on  her  side,  dead.  It  was  the  very  doe  I 
had  shot  at  lirst,  for  there  was  a  wound  in  the  neck,  and 
she  had  stolen  off  alone  by  herself  for  the  night,  perhaps 
to  die — a  new  argument  against  ''pumping.''  for  it  was  the 
mt^rest  chance  my  getting  her,  as  a  feather's  weight  would 
have  turned  me  from  climbing  the  hill  at  all,  and,  as  with 
hundreds  of  others  that  are  shot  on  tli3  pumping  sj^stem, 
the  coyotes  would  have  had  her  before  morning.  She  was 
of  the  largest  size,  and  a  noble  piece  of  game.     When  I 


TIIK   MULE   DEEK.  169 

had  bled  and  drawn  her,  the  light  was  gone;  I  tied  my 
handkerchief  to  one  ear,  as  a  precaution  against  the  coyotes, 
and  left  her  till  morning. 

The  smoke  of  my  camp-fire,  with  a  yet  flickering  flame; 
the  dim  outline  of  my  tent,  with  its  little  streamer  at  the 
top;  old  George  at  his  picket-stake,  munching  at  the  bunch- 
grass,  were  j)leasant,  home-like  signs  in  the  gloaming  as  I 
came  near.  •  The  lighted  candle  inside,  and  blazing  lire  out- 
side for  a  cup  of  tea,  made  it  still  more  like  home;  yet  I 
was  twelve  miles  from  the  ranch,  and  six  miles  from  the 
nearest  human  being.  In  contrast  with  the  wild,  weird 
mountains,  with  their  gloomy  shadows  and  moaning  pines, 
and  darkness  coming  thickly  down  on  all,  the  blaze  and  the 
light  were  cheer  and  assurance,  and  seemed  almost  a  human 
welcome  back.  There  was  chaos  and  darkness  till  the 
primal  order  came,  "  Let  there  be  lightl " 

And  now  come  my  last  day  in  camp,  and  my  last  Deer. 
The  season  has  advanced  till  the  ground  is  stiff,  mornings, 
and  often  covered  with  snow.  I  feel  that  my  part  is  played, 
and  it  is  time  to  get  back  to  comx^anionship  and  the  ax^j^li- 
ances  of  comfort  and  rest  in  a  more  thorough  shelter  and 
larger  comforts  of  a  settled  home.  I  have  worked  up  the 
big  canon  pretty  thoroughly,  and  do  not  wish  to  hunt  more 
there.  I  have  noticed  signs  of  Deer  passing  westerly, 
though  there  are  no  woods  in  sight;  all  in  that  direction 
seems  bald,  bare  mountain-top  and  foot-hill. 

But  nothing  can  l)e  more  deceptive  than  the  surface  of 
this  whole  volcanic  region  of  the  Blue  Mountains.  You 
may  start  for  a  tramp  or  a  ride  ahead,  where  all  looks  open 
and  rolling  as  a  prairie.  In  half  a  mile,  you  come  suddenly 
into  a  vast  canon,  five  hundred  feet  deep — forest-clothed  on 
the  sides  to  the  very  bottom,  and  intersected  by  other 
canons  in  all  directions,  of  dimensions  almost  as  great  as 
its  own.  These  are  unfailing  resorts  for  Elk  and  our  i3res- 
ent  Deer,  who  find  abundance  of  the  food  thej^  love,  abun- 
dant slielter  from  danger,  the  steep  and  rocky  glens  and 
hill-sides  that  are  their  delight,  with  always  the  j)ure,  cold 
mountain  stream  at  the  bottom,  where  by  night  they  can 


170  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

repair  for  drink,  and  be  back  to  their  foraging-grounds  on 
the  heights  by  morning.  Such  are  our  animals'  haunts, 
habits,  and  home.  Consequently,  I  was  not  at  all  surprised 
to  come  into  one  of  these  vast  canons,  which  would  never 
be  susx^ected  eighty  rods  away,  and  where,  probably,  some 
animals  from  the  bands  I  had  disturbed  had  come  for  relief 
and  shelter.  It  proved  so.  I  had  come  into  the  canon  by 
a  circuit  on  lower  ground,  and  was  passing  carelessly  over 
a  bed  of  shale,  when  I  saw  an  enormous  buck — doubtless 
the  one  of  the  day  before — coming  quartering  past  me.  He 
saw  me,  wheeled  for  another  canon  and  disappeared.  At 
this  season,  given  a  patriarchal  buck,  a  band  of  does  is 
not  far  off.  In  the  summer,  I  should  have  mourned  over 
this  old  fellow,  with  two  inches  of  fat  on  his  brisket,  and 
weighing  a  good  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  Now,  I 
mourn  him  not,  with  his  swollen  neck,  his  tainted  body, 
but  welcome  him  in  his  Higlit  as  my  guide  to  a  band  of  does 
that  I  do  want. 

I  crossed  the  divide,  clambered  down  the  shady  side  of 
the  ravine  where  he  had  disapjDeared,  and  had  just  reached 
the  bottom  and  stooped  for  a  drink  from  the  unfailing  canon 
stream,  when,  up  on  the  extreme  brow  of  the  other  side  of 
the  ravine,  was  passing  swiftly  a  band  of  does.  They 
stopped.  I  was  making  a  clioice  for  a  shot,  when,  glancing 
ahead,  there  seemed,  through  the  thick  brush,  the  mere 
form  of  a  Deer  far  larger  than  any  in  open  sight — so  dim 
that  it  was  a  mere  suggestion,  and  indistinct  at  that.  If  it 
were  a  Deer  at  all,  I  could  only  hit  her  through  the  thick 
brush,  and  small  limbs  are  proverbial  for  deflecting  a 
bullet.  But  my  100-grain  Sharp  was  a  power  even  for 
twigs,  and  so  far  it  had  stood  me  in  good  stead;  1  had 
only  missed  once  in  all  these  weeks,  and  that  was  in 
doing  the  "pumping"  act.  I  will  stake  it  on  the  form  and 
the  Sharps,  and  Are  through  the  brush. 

Always,  in  these  bands,  there  seems  not  only  a  ruling 
buck,  but  a  leading  doe,  far  larger  than  the  rest.  It  had 
been  my  fortune,  thus  far,  in  almost  every  instance,  to  get 
this  leadin<?  doe.    It  was  so  now.    She  was  on  the  extreme 


THE   MULE  DEER.  171 

brow,  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  away.  Holding  well  up, 
I  fired.  The  form  was  the  leading  doe  indeed,  and  she 
came  rolling  almost  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  with  a  broken 
back.  The  knife  ended  her  pains,  but  it  always  gives  me 
pain  to  use  it  for  the  pui-pose.  This  was  the  largest  female 
Deer  I  had  killed  in  my  hunt,  and  I  was  glad  I  had  taken 
the  risks.  Such  beauty  of  coat,  such  beauty  of  form,  such 
perfection  as  game!  Then  look  at  those  ears;  nine  inches 
long  and  seven  broad,  and  yet  as  flexible  and  sensitive  as 
though  of  the  thinnest  rubber!  And  the  Jet-black  brisket; 
and  the  tufted  tail,  ending  in  its  bunch  of  black — truly  a 
Mule  Deer! 

To  gralloch  her,  ward  off  magpies,  Clark's  crows,  and 
Maximilian's  jays,  which  are  already  on  the  ground,  with 
impudent  chatter  at  my  long  delay;  to  go  for  Geoi^e,  and 
get  my  game  to  camp — this  filled  out  my  day;  and  my  hunt 
was  done. 

Next  day,  my  good  friend  came  up  witli  two  horses,  to 
help  me  to  his  place  with  my  traps  and  game,  and  gave  me 
a  fellow-hunter' s  greeting  over  my  success.  And  it  was  to 
fill  his  own  empty  larder,  too;  and  that  pleased  me.  He 
stayed  with  me  over  night,  and  we  took  the  day  for  our 
work.  He  was  an  old  packer;  was  thoroughly  up  in  the 
mysteries  of  the  "diamond-hitch;"  took  all  the  labor  of 
packing  on  himself,  and  left  the  lighter  work  to  me.  I 
drank  my  last  cup  of  coffee  at  my  fire,  took  a  last  look 
at  the  dear  old  spot  where  my  tent  had  stood,  and  where 
still  lay  "the  fragrant  bed  with  hemlock  spread,"  and  bade 
a  last  farew^ell  to  the  loveliest  camj)  I  had  ever  known. 

One  final  surprise  and  treat  was  yet  before  me.  As  we 
descended  from  the  mountains,  far  below,  and  to  a  height 
of  a  hundred  feet,  rolled  down  the  river  a  body  of  fog,  so 
white,  so  dense,  so  mobile  under  a  gentle  west  wind,  that  it 
seemed  not  mist,  not  fog,  but  an  actual  river  of  foam.  Far 
as  the  eye  could  reach,  west  or  east,  it  still  rolled  on,  as 
distinct  from  the  prevailing  mist  and  fog  and  of  as  perfect 
form  as  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  Here  and  there,  as  a  rounded 
mass  would  catch  the  reflection  of  the  sun,  it  would  be  of  a 


172 


BIG    GAME   OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 


roseate  hue,  in  beautiful  contrast  with  the  snowy  whiteness 
around  it;  and  all  still  slowly  rolled  on,  as  if  a  very  body 
of  foam  caught  up  in  the  air  and  moving  on  in  unison  with 
the  river  beneath.  I  never  saw  anything  in  Nature  like  it; 
I  sliall  never  see  it  again.  And  now  we  began  to  go  down 
into  the  mist;  as  we  descended,  it  grew  thicker  and  thicker 
till,  when  we  reached  the  road,  we  could  not  see  my  friend's 
humble  home,  two  rods  beyond  it. 

My  hunt  was  rounded  and  complete.  It  had  begun,  the 
first  evening,  with  the  largest  Deer  I  have  ever  killed  or 
have  ever  seen.  It  had  continued  successful  as  to  game; 
the  weather  glorious;  the  camping  and  scenery  equally  so; 
my  health  perfect;  entire  exemption  from  accident,  and 
ended  with  the  most  beautiful  phenomenon  of  Nature  I 
have  ever  seen— a  rolling,  snowy,  billowy,  rose-tinted 
river  of  foam ! 


THE  MULE  DEER  OF  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 


By  T.  S.  Van  Dyke, 

Author  of  "■  The  Still  Hunter,"  "  The  Rifle,  Hod,  and  Gun  in  Soutliern 
California,"  etc. 


^HE  Deer  of  this  region,  though  commonly  called  the 
Black-tail,  is,  in  reality,  the  Mule  Deer.  It  is 
found  from  the  coast  to  the  highest  inland  mountain- 
■^^  top.  There  is  a  theory  among  many  that  it  goes 
to  the  coast  in  the  summer  and  to  the  mountains  in  winter, 
while  many  others  think  directly  the  contrary.  I  can  see 
but  little  evidence  of  either  theory  being  correct.  There 
are  migratory  movements  of  the  Deer  here,  but  rarely  any 
of  a  nature  so  general  as  that.  Once  in  a  few  years,  Deer 
will  be  unusually  plentiful,  coming,  undoubtedly,  from 
Lower  California,  or  from  the  high  ranges  that  bound  the 
Desert;  and,  in  occasional  years,  they  will  be  very  scarce. 
There  are  also  local  movements — Deer  suddenly  leaving  a 
considerable  tract  of  country  and  becoming  quite  plentiful 
in  another,  several  miles  away— generally  governed  by  the 
question  of  acorns. 

The  real  explanation  I  think  to  be  this:  Both  in  the 
mountains  and  on  the  coast,  the  Deer  have  a  period  of 
retirement  in  the  heavy  brush,  lasting  from  about  the  mid- 
dle of  April  till  the  first  of  August,  or  even  later.  During 
this  time  they  move  but  little,  and  when  they  come  outside 
of  the  chaparral  at  all,  it  is  mainly  at  night,  and  they 
return  to  it  before  day-break.  The  leaves  and  twigs  of  the 
brush  are  then  young  and  succulent,  so  that  they  care  little 
for  water,  and  therefore  few  or  no  tracks  may  be  found 
about  a  spring,  although  several  Deer  may  be  in  the  brush 
near  by.  This  period  is  longer  in  the  mountains  than  it  is 
along  the  coast,  and  the  Deer  confine  their  movements  still 
more  to  the  brush. 

( ir3 ) 


174  BIG  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Of  course,  some  may  be  seen  in  either  place,  but  in  the 
mountains  it  will  be  quite  accidental.  In  the  lower  hills, 
along  the  coast,  it  is  not  so  difficult 'to  see  game;  but  in  the 
mountains  I  have  hunted  a  whole  week,  getting  before  day- 
break on  a  j)oint  that  would  command  a  wide  range  of 
brush  and  open  ground,  and  going  again  in  the  afternoon 
and  remaining  until  dark,  but,  even  with  the  aid  of  a  good 
glass,  could  see  no  Deer.  Yet  there  were  plenty  of  fresh 
tracks  on  all  the  open  places. 

At  other  times,  I  have  at  daylight  taken  tracks  not  half 
an  hour  old,  and  followed  them  rapidly  in  a  desperate 
attempt  to  overtake  the  Deer,  w^hetlier  I  got  a  shot  or  not. 
But  in  a  few  hundred  yards  they  would  turn  down  into 
some  deep,  dark  ravine,  bristling  with  tremendous  chap- 
arral, or  into  some  perfect  sea  of  brush  along  some  hill- 
side. In  either  case,  no  amount  of  noise  would  move  them. 
He  who  would  hunt  at  this  time  of  year — the  tinip,  too, 
when  the  bucks  and  yearlings  are  in  the  best  condition — 
must  remember  this  habit  of  retirement. 

They  can  undoubtedly  be  driven  from  the  brush  by  dogs, 
but  without  them  you  would  do  little  along  the  coast,  and 
much  less  in  the  mountains.  There  are,  however,  a  few 
sections  in  which  they  remain  secluded  a  much  shorter  time 
than  in  others,  but  you  will  find  few  who  can  tell  you  where 
they  are.  But  you  need  listen  to  no  talk  about  the  Deer 
being  "all  at  the  coast,"  or  "all  gone  to  the  mountains," 
as  in  each  place  they  think  they  are  gone  because  they  do 
not  see  them.  The  fact  is,  that  the  coast  is  as  good  as  the 
mountains;  Deer  are  always  there,  and  an  observant  person 
can  find  the  tracks  of  the  same  Deer  there  all  the  time. 

Some  Deer  will  skulk  and  hide  in  the  brush  at  any  time 
of  year,  and  the  Deer  that  ran  away  from  you  yester- 
day may  to-day  stand  or  lie  still  in  brush  and  let  you  pass 
wdthin  a  few  yards  of  him.  So,  too,  a  Deer  may  spring  two 
hundred  yards  away  and  run  like  any  Deer,  then  suddenly 
turn  into  a  piece  of  brush  and  hide  there. 

Deer  sometimes  lie  amazingly  close.  I  once  tracked  a 
doe  and  two  fawns  about  a  mile  and  a  half  through  brush 


THE   MULE   DEER  OF   i^OUTHERN   CALIFORNIA.  175 

and  rocks,  when  the  trail  finally  entered  some  cliaparral 
higher  than  my  head.  In  a  few  rods  I  came  to  the  edge  of 
a  deep  ravine  heavily  clad  with  brush  throiighont.  As  it 
was  quite  useless  to  enter  it,  and  as  it  was  getting  late,  I 
turned  about. 

At  the  same  moment,  a  young  dog  I  was  training  made  a 
bound  at  the  very  bush  at  which  I  turned  about,  and  out  of 
it,  not  five  feet  from  where  I  had  turned,  sprang  the  whole 
three,  with  a  tremendous  smash  of  brush,  and  were  out  of 
sight  in  a  single  jump  down  the  hill-side.  As  I  had  been 
making  plenty  of  noise  for  the  last  hundred  yards,  it  being 
impossible  in  such  brush  to  help  it,  these  Deer  must  have 
heard  me  all  the  time,  and  they  must  certainly  have  seen 
me;  yet  an  examination  of  the  ground  showed  that  they 
had  lain  still  all  the  time,  not  even  getting  up  until  the  dog 
roused  them. 

Time  and  again  have  I  tracked  Deer  into  a  brush-patch 
of  only  a  few  acres,  yet  found  it  impossible  to  start  them. 
At  such  places  you  may  sometimes  start  them  if  j^ou  get 
upon  a  commanding  rock  and  sit  there  patiently.  Some- 
times, after  five,  ten,  or  fifteen  minutes,  a  Deer  can  not  resist 
the  temptation  to  take  a  better  look  at  you,  or  move  a  little. 
You  may  see  a  pair  of  horns  appear  above  the  brush,  or  a 
long  ear  or  two;  or,  perhax)s,  one  may  be  suddenly  dis- 
covered sneaking  out  on  one  side;  or  he  may  break  cover 
at  last,  with  a  snort  and  a  smash  of  brush,  and  go  bounding 
away  in  long,  surging  springs;  but  if  the  cover  is  good,  it 
is  more  likely  that  he  will  let  you  sit  on  that  rock  until  he 
gets  ready  to  move  again,  toward  evening. 

This  is  the  worst  trick  this  Deer  has,  because  you  so 
rarely  know  when  it  is  being  played  on  you;  and  it  is  so 
hard  to  circumvent.  Where  the  brush  is  not  too  dense  and 
high,  a  good  bird-dog  is  the  most  effective  ally.  A  good  one 
can  be  trained  to  point  a  Deer  as  well  as  a  bird.  But  I 
would  advise  keeping  them  strictly  to  x^ointing,  and  under 
no  circumstances  allow  one  to  run  after  a  Avounded  Deer. 
And  it  is  generally  best  to  keep,  them  at  heel,  and  let  them 
point  there.     There  is  not  one  dog  in  a  dozen  that  can  be 


176  BIG   (iAME   OP^   NORTH   AMERICA. 

trusted  to  go  ahead  of  you  after  he  has  caught  one  or  two 
crippled  Deer,  and  few  that  can  be  implicitly  trusted  even 
at  heel.  Dogs  that  are  perfectly  obedient  about  Rabbits 
and  other  things  that  generally  make  a  fool  of  a  common 
dog,  often  become  perfectly  crazy  about  Deer.  And  if  you 
don't  march  upon  the  game  quite  as  fast  as  they  think 
you  ought  to,  or  if  you  turn  off  the  scent  to  go  around,  they 
will  often  conclude  they  know  more  than  you  do  about  it, 
and  will  take  the  job  out  of  your  hands,  unless  you  tie  them 
to  your  waist,  and  then  they  may  break  you  half  in  two 
when  you  shoot. 

I  have  known  a  few  old  dogs,  however,  who  could  be 
ti'usted  to  go  ahead  of  you,  and  who  would  point  a  Deer 
just  as  staunchly  as  they  would  a  bird.  Over  such  I  have 
had  grand  sport  shooting  Deer  in  the  chaparral. 

This  Deer  feeds  mainly  on  the  leaves  and  tender  twigs 
of  the  evergreen  brush  that  forms  the  chaparral;  also 
upon  various  bushes  found  on  more  open  ground,  such  as 
the  sumac,  scrub-oak  brush,  and  even  live-oak  leaves.  It 
feeds  but  little  upon  grass,  though  it  occasional!}'  nibbles 
green  alfilleria  or  clover.  But  it  is  quite  fond  of  barley 
and  wheat,  when  green,  and  of  the  shoots  of  a  long  grass 
that  grows  on  burnt  ground.  It  also  feeds  on  several  low 
shrubs  and  herbs,  such  as  wild  buckwheat,  wild  alfalfa,  etc. 

In  the  fall,  it  becomes  a  great  ravager  of  vineyards  and 
gardens.  It  eats  almost  every  kind  of  garden-stuff;  but 
melons,  grapes,  and  other  good  things,  it  loves  especially. 
It  is  very  fond  of  the  white  muscat  grapes,  of  which  the 
best  raisins  are  made,  and  some  of  the  most  easy  and 
pleasant  hunting  to  be  had  in  America  is  found  in  the  low 
hills  surrounding  a  California  vineyard. 

\Vliere  Deer  are  but  little  disturbed  with  hunting,  they 
go  but  a  little  way  back  from  tlie  vineyard  to  spend  the 
day,  often  lying  down  under  some  shady  brush  or  rock, 
within  plain  sight  of  it.  Being  well  fed  during  the  night, 
they  liave  little  feeding  to  do  during  the  day,  and  conse- 
quHUtly  little  roaming,  hence  their  movements  are  much 
more  regular  than  when  iVeding  at  huge  in  the  hills  upon 


THE   MULE   DEER  OF   SOUTHERN   CALIFORNIA.  177 

the  native  vegetation;  and  when  the  hills  are  not  too  rough 
or  bushy,  the  labor  required  to  find  a  Deer  is  often  reduced 
to  the  lowest  x)oint  possible  in  Deer-hunting,  while  the  cer- 
tainty of  a  shot  rises  to  the  highest  point  possible  in  that 
uncertain  amusement. 

No  boy  ever  knows  better  when  he  is  doing  mischief 
than  this  Deer  does;  hence  it  visits  the  vineyard  only  at 
night,  entering  after  dark,  and  leaving  with  the  first  gray  of 
dawn.  Sometimes,  Deer  may  be  shot  in  the  vineyard  at 
night;  but  they  are  then  so  extremely  watchful  that  they 
can  hardly  ever  be  approached,  unless  with  fire,  as  in  regu- 
lar fire-hunting,  while  lying  in  wait  involves  an  amount  of 
silence  and  frequent  disappointments  that  is  far  more 
annoying  tlijui  a  vjiiu  search  in  the  hills  by  day. 

A  more  certain  and  pleasant  plan  for  a  good  hunter  is  to 
take,  in  the  morning,  fresh  tracks  of  their  departure  from 
the  vineyard,  and  follow  them  back  into  the  hills,  where 
they  have  gone  to  spend  the  day.  This  generally  requires 
tracking  upon  bare  ground,  a  thing  difficult  enough,  but 
on  the  whole  vastly  more  easy  than  it  is  represented  by 
some  writers,  who  would  have  us  believe  that  the  Indian 
alone  can  do  it.  But  the  strong  probability  of  finding 
fresh  tracks  at  once,  and  overtaking  the  Deer  that  made 
them  if  you  can  only  follow  them,  more  than  compensates 
for  all  difficulties. 

One  of  the  most  pleasant  hunts  of  this  kind  that  I  ever 
had  was  at  a  vineyard  near  Bear  Valley,  in  the  county  of 
San  Diego,  California.  It  covered  some  twenty  acres  of 
bottom-land  in  a  little  valley  surrounded  by  low  hills, 
forming  a  perfect  amx)hitheater,*  of  which  nearly  all  parts 
were  visible  from  the  ranch-house — a  large  adobe  house  of 
the  olden  time,  standing  on  the  rising  ground,  by  a  spring, 
upon  one  side  of  the  valley,  and  well-filled  with  comfort, 
hospitality,  and  good-cheer. 

On  a  bright  November  morning,  my  friend  S and  I  left 

the  house  after  breakfast  and  went  to  the  vineyard  to  begin 
our  hunt.  Everywhere  upon  the  soft  ground  w^ere  abun- 
dant tracks  of  Deer;  tracks  of  every  night  for  the  i^ast  week 

12 


178  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

mingled  with  many  scarcely  five  hours  old.  Here  a  Deer 
had  sauntered  down  between  two  rows  of  vines  without 
stopjiing,  and  there  one  had  stopped  and  eaten  half  a  dozen 
bunches  of  grapes  before  passing  on.  In  the  orchard, 
below  the  vineyard,  havoc  was  visible  ujoon  all  sides.  Here, 
still  hanging  on  the  trees,  were  large,  luscious  Japanese 
persimmons  from  which  a  whole  side  had  been  taken  at  a 
single  bite,  and  others  lay  scattered  upon  the  ground  in  a 
still  greater  state  of  ruin. 

Oranges  and  lemons  had  been  passed,  apparently,  in  dis- 
dain, but  the  late  peaches,  pears,  and  apples  had  suffered,  and 
the  twigs  of  plums,  apricots,  and  other  deciduous  trees  had 
been  freely  nipped.  Along  the  edge  of  both  orchard  and  vine- 
3^ard  were  hundreds  of  fresh  foot-prints,  where  the  Deer  had 
come  in  and  gone  out,  some  having  jumped  the  fence  of 
barbed  wire,  others  having  crawled  under  it.  One  would 
suppose  that  at  least  fifty  Deer  had  been  in  during  the  night; 
but  we  had  had  enough  experience  before  to  cause  us  to 
reduce  the  calculation  to  a  dozen,  at  the  most.  Some  had 
gone  out,  played  around  the  adjacent  slopes,  and  returned 
again,  and  some  had  passed  in  and  out  several  times,  and 
all  had  made  many  more  tracks  than  were  at  all  necessary. 

Starting  at  the  western  end  of  the  orchard,  we  made  a 
circuit  on  the  outside  of  that  and  the  vineyard,  so  as  to  find 
the  tracks  that  it  would  be  most  advisable  to  follow.  Three 
Deer,  including  a  large  buck,  had  gone  out  on  the  west,  but 
they  had  gone  into  a  canon  that  was  quite  brushy.  As  the 
wind  was  from  the  east,  our  chances  of  a  near  approach 
were  so  slender  that  we  left  that  trail  until  afternoon,  by 
which  time  the  wind  might  have  changed.  On  the  south, 
two  had  gone  out.  After  following  these  a  few  hundred 
yards,  we  found  that  they  too  had  gone  Avestward,  and,  as  it 
was  quite  ceitain  some  had  gone  out  at  the  eastern  end  of 
the  vineyard,  we  left  this  trail,  also  on  account  of  the  wind. 

At  the  eastern  end,  we  found  that  five  had  gone  out — a 
doe,  two  large  fawns,  and  two  other  Deer  leaving  foot-prints 
a  trifle  larger  than  those  of  the  doe.  These  tracks  were  well 
mixed  with  those  of  each  night  for  the  past  week;    the 


THE  MULE   DEEU   OF   SOUTHERN   CALIFORNIA.  179 

ground  was  well  covered  with  grass,  about  an  inch  high, 
tliat  the  first  rains  had  started.  Tlie  Deer  had  played  about 
here  and  there,  making  all  manner  of  twists  and  turns. 
Altogether,  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  unravel  the  tangle  of 
trails. 

We  finally  followed  the  trail  into  the  main  valley  that 
led  from  the  hills,  on  that  side,  to  the  vineyard.  At  the 
first  branch  of  this  valley  the  Deer  had  had  a  grand  play- 
spell.  The  fawns,  especially,  had  jumped  and  pranced 
around  in  all  directions,  running  up  the  slopes  and  coming 
down  again  with  long  jumijs  that  tore  uj^  the  soft  ground  in 
long  furrows.  Then  the  party  had  divided,  the  old  doe 
going  up  the  branch,  while  the  fawns  went  with  the  other 
two  Deer  up  the  main  valley. 

Some  two  hundred  yards  beyond  this,  another  branch 
turned  southward.  Into  this  the  tracks  went;  and  so,  to 
our  surprise,  did  the  wind.  Coming  a  little  from  the  north 
of  east,  this  wind  would  be  quite  sure  to  follow  this  branch 
of  the  valley;  so  we  had  to  retreat  as  hastily  as  possible,  in 
order  to  make  a  circuit  and  get  out  of  the  breeze,  which 
would  be  sure  to  bear  our  scent  to  the  Deer,  and  alarm  them. 

Retreating  down  the  valley  some  two  hundred  yards,  we 
ascended  the  hill  on  the  west  side  of  the  little  valley  into 
which  the  Deer  had  gone,  so  as  to  be  on  the  leeward  side, 
and  also  be  where  we  could  see  into  the  valley.  But  before 
we  had  gone  a  quarter  of  a  mile  the  brush  became  so  high, 
dense,  and  stiff  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  anything  over 
it,  or  get  through  it  without  making  a  noise  that  would 
alarm  the  Deer  before  Ave  could  get  near  enough  to  them  for 
anything  like  certainty  in  shooting. 

Nothing  remained  but  to  back  out  and  go  around  to  the 
head  of  the  little  valley,  and  come  down  it,  and  thus  have 
the  wind  in  our  faces.  Nearly  half  a  mile  away,  we  could 
see  where  it  ended  by  branching  into  several  little  ravines, 
with  flat-topped  ridges  between,  clad  with  brush,  the  whole 
forming  a  little  brushy  basin  Just  below  where  the  rugged 
hills  broke  suddenly  awaj^  into  a  smooth,  grassy  table-land 
beyond. 


180  BIG   (JAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

A  detour  of  nearly  a  mile  then  brought  us  to  a  high  rock 
on  the  edge  of  this  table-land,  and  there  we  sat  down  to 
take  a  look.  Below  us  lay  the  basin,  well  tilled  with  dark- 
green  brush  over  waist-high,  among  which  was  scattered  a 
goodly  assortment  of  boulders  of  gray  granite.  Carefully 
we  scanned  every  bush  and  the  shade  of  every  rock,  and 
turned  a  strong  opera-glass  upon  every  little  sx)ot  of  gray, 
brown,  black,  or  white.  Plenty  of  such  spots  there  were; 
but,  one  by  one,  they  changed,  under  the  glass,  into  bits  of 
shade,  glimpses  of  granite  through  brush,  or  the  skull  of 
some  long-dead  ox,  looking  dimly  gray  through  the  fine, 
bright  leaves  of  the  lilac  or  manzanita. 

The  warm  wind  swept  up  out  of  the  canon  into  our  faces, 
bearing  with  it  the  voices  of  the  men  gathering  grapes  far 
away  below;  but  there  was  no  sound  of  bounding  hoofs 
upon  the  hard,  dry  ground;  no  crack  or  crash  of  brush,  such 
as  are  often  heard  when  the  Deer  takes  the  alarm  and  starts 
from  his  shady  bed.  Far  below,  but  scarcely  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  away,  shone  the  white  walls  of  the  ranch-house, 
with  the  broad  vineyard  lying  in  a  dense  nuiss  of  green 
before  it;  and  beside  it  the  ri23ening  oranges  were  gleaming 
through  the  dark-green  foliage  of  the  trees.  Miles  away, 
and  thousands  of  feet  below  us,  gleamed  a  broad  silver 
band  beneath  the  western  blue,  where  the  mighty  ocean 
lay  sleeping  its  long  summer  sleep  of  peace,  while  between 
lay  a  wild  array  of  tumbling  hills,  rolling  table-lands,  and 
valleys  dark  with  depth.  On  our  right,  on  our  left,  and 
behind  us  lofty  mountains  loomed  through  autumn's  golden 
haze,  some  dark  and  soft  with  pine  forests,  others  gray  and 
rugged,  being  mere  piles  of  boulders,  between  which  ragged 
cliaj)arral  and  scrubby  oaks  struggled  for  existence.  And 
all  l)etween,  still  bright  with  golden  stubbles,  lay  broad, 
sweei)ing  i)lains  and  table-lands,  I'olling  skyward  in  long 
waves  of  rich  soil  covered  with  y  el  low"  grass  or  scattered 
live-oaks. 

On  any  of  this  our  prospects  seemed  about  as  good  as  in 
the  hills  before  us  that  lay  around  tlie  vineyard.  Yet  it 
was   certain    that   the  Deer  had  entered  this  little  valley 


THE   MULE  DEER   OF   SOUTHERN   CALIFORNIA.  181 

whose  branching  head  lay  just  before  and  below  us.  It  was 
certain  that  they  had  not  passed  out  on  the  side  on  which 
we  had  made  our  detour,  or  we  would  have  seen  their  tracks. 
Nor  was  it  probable  that  they  had  crossed  over  into  the  head 
of  the  next  valley  beyond,  for  had  they  intended  to  go  into 
that  one,  they  would  have  been  more  apt  to  enter  it  by  its 
mouth.  That  we  had  neither  heard  nor  seen  anything  of 
the  game  proved  nothing,  for  Deer  that  live  much  in  brush 
have  a  habit  of  hiding  or  skulking  in  it,  and  may  lie  still, 
or  even  stand  still,  within  fifty  yards  of  a  person,  or  sneak 
quietly  off,  without  arousing  one's  suspicion  of  their  pres- 
ence. It  was  quite  jDrobable  that  they  were  not  two  hun- 
dred yards  from  us,  lying  down  on  the  shady  side  of  some 
little  ravine  or  under  some  large  bush. 

About  one  hundred  yards  below  us  lay  a  noble  boulder 
of  granite,  with  a  smaller  one  beside  it,  by  which  we  could 
climb  upon  it.  Its  top  was  broad  and  flat,  and  formed  a 
most  tempting  place  to  sit  and  enjoy  the  view  and  the 
breeze,  if  nothing  else.  It  was  hardly  necessary  for  me  to 
suggest  that  we  should  transfer  ourselves  to  that  boulder, 
for  my  friend  had  already  chosen  it  as  his  next  resting- 
place. 

"Now,''  said  I,  as  we  stretched  out  upon  it,  "let's make 
quite  a  stay  here.  A  Deer,  even  when  hiding  from  you, 
often  gets  uneasy  after  awhile,  and  can  not  resist  the  temp- 
tation to  have  a  good  look  at  you.  If  you  sit  long  enough 
within  view  of  one,  you  may  finally  hear  the  brush  crack, 
or  may  see  the  tips  of  a  pair  of  ears  arise  out  of  "file  brush 
somewhere,  or  a  pair  of  horns,  perhaps,  come  surging " 

' '  That  isn'  t  a  x^air  of  horns  over  there,  is  it  ? "  he  inter- 
rupted, pointing  away  on  the  left. 

About  one  hundred  and  thirty  yards  upon  the  left,  two 
points,  some  three  inches  long  and  twelve  inches  apart,  were 
just  visible  above  the  chaparral.  To  an  untrained  eye,  they 
might  have  passed  for  the  ends  of  dead  sticks,  often  seen 
in  such  brush,  whose  weather-beaten  ends  often  look  gray 
and  shiny;  but  there  was  a  peculiar  hue  and  glitter  about 
these  points  that  made  them  like  the  face  of  an  old  friend 


182  BIG.  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

dimly  caught  amid  the  crowd,  while  their  distance  apart 
and  direction  left  no  room  for  doubt. 

My  rifle  was  sighted  for  that  very  distance,  and  was  a 

very  accurate  one,  whereas  I  knew  that  iS had  not  tried 

his  for  a  long  time,  and  did  not  know  exactly  for  what 
point  the  sights  were  set.  I  handed  him  mine,  and  told 
him  to  Are  about  a  foot  below  the  center  between  the  lower 
ends  of  the  two  points. 

"No,"  said  he;  "  you  try  them." 

There  was  no  time  for  parley  or  further  interchange  of 
courtesies.  At  any  second  the  points  might  disappear,  to 
be  seen  no  more  that  day.  Moreover,  it  was  a  difficult  shot, 
involving  too  much  guess-work  as  to  the  precise  point  to 
strike,  and  a  head  being  too  small  a  mark  for  that  distance, 
even  if  distinctly  seen;  but  firing  by  guess  at  the  supposed 
body  would  have  been  still  worse,  as  it  was  impossible  to 
say  which  way  it  was  standing. 

Drawing  a  fine  sight  a  foot  or  so  below  the  center 
between  the  points,  I  fired.  What  a  whirl  of  gray  and 
white  above  that  distant  brush  followed  the  report  of  the 
rifle,  as  the  Deer  sprang  upward  and  turned  around  with 
almost  a  single  motion!  Up  he  came  again  in  a  shining- 
curve  of  gray,  his  whole  outline  forming  the  top  of  an 
arch  over  the  brush.  Bang!  went  my  companion's  rifle, 
and  bang!  went  mine,  aimed  about  where  I  thought  the 
glossy  hair  would  descend  into  the  brush.  The  smoke  for 
a  moment  rolled  across  our  line  of  view,  then  in  an  instant 
was  swept  aside  by  the  breeze;  and  there,  just  about  the 
place  where  our  Deer  had  disappeared,  stood  a  statue  of 
beamy  gray.  Now  we  could  see  it  j^lainly,  for  it  stood 
upon  a  knoll,  perfect  in  outline,  with  head  proudly  erect; 
long,  tapering  nose  and  great  flaring  ears  pointed  directly  at 
us.  The  briglit  morning  sun  shone  from  its  dark,  iron-gray 
back  and  glittered  on  three  or  four  points  upon  each  horn — 
a  perfect  picture  of  a  three-year-old  buck. 

Both  rifles  rang  out  almost  together.  Through  the 
smoke  we  dimly  saw  another  whirl  of  white  and  gray,  but 
before  either  of  us  could  fire  again  it  was  gone;  but  in  a 


THE   MULE   DEER   OF   SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA.  183 

second  more,  there  rose  from  the  brush  in  a  little  ravine 
beyond  Just  such  another  pair  of  horns,  with  just  such 
another  curve  of  beamy  gray  behind  them.  Again  our 
repeaters  poured  dire  intentions  upon  the  scene,  but  in  a 
moment  the  gray  was  once  more  gone,  fading  over  a  ridge 
amid  a  maze  of  brush. 

But  there  was  no  time  to  think  or  indulge  in  sj)ecula- 
tions  or  regrets;  for  scarcely  had  the  brush  closed  over  the 
slippery  beauty,  before  a  crash  of  brush  about  a  hundred 
yards  ahead  of  us  made  us  turn  about  with  something  akin 
to  haste.  There,  surging  through  the  chajjarral  upon  a 
slope  across  a  deep  ravine,  were  the  two  fawns.  They 
looked  nearly  as  large  as  the  bucks,  as,  with  the  gay  bound 
of  the  Mule  Deer,  they  rose  high  above  the  brush  from  the 
impulse  of  their  springy  legs,  striking  ground  with  all  four 
feet  at  once,  and  bouncing  from  earth  again  as  though  it 
was  an  India-rubber  cushion.  Now  with  a  long  jump  to 
one  side,  then  with  a  short  jumi3  to  the  other  side,  rising 
ever  high  in  air,  with  all  four  feet  grouped  beneath  them, 
ready  to  beat  the  ground  simultaneously  with  a  heavy 
thump  as  they  descended,  the  fawns  sped  swiftly  away. 

Ball  after  ball  tore  up  the  dirt  around,  above,  and  below, 
and  hissed  and  sang  through  the  air  beyond,  until  they 
suddenly  wheeled  and  plunged  into  a  little  ravine  filled 
with  brush.  Just  ahead  of  them,  a  big  Wildcat  was  run- 
ning, evidently  under  the  impression  that  he  had  fallen 
on  dangerous  times.  As  he  reached  the  top  of  the  slope, 
he  yielded  to  the  temptation  to  stop  and  see  what  was  the 
cause  of  the  ui^roar,  evidently  having  been  started  by  the 
noise  only.  He  sat  upon  his  luiunches,  with  brindle  back 
turned  toward  us,  and  turned  his  gray  face  backward  over 
his  shoulder.  In  a  second  more,  the  cat  and  the  dry  dirt 
beneath  it  fiew  about  two  feet  in  air,  as  a  heavy  ball 
from  my  friend' s  rifle  struck  the  ground  by  the  root  of  its 
stubbed  tail.  It  went  over  the  ridge  in  a  somersault  of 
brindle  liair,  and  we  were  again  alone. 

We  had  made  plenty  of  noise  and  smoke.  In  fact,  few 
rocks  have  ever  seen  such  a  cannonade  in  such  a  short  space 


184 


BIG   OAME   OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 


of  time.  Yet  apparently  nothing  had  fallen,  and  there  was  a 
painful  dearth  of  evidence  that  anything  had  been  hit.  Tak- 
ing first  the  tracks  of  the  fawns,  we  found  them  leading  away 
in  long  jumps,  tearing  up  the  ground  with  every  leg  intact. 
It  seemed  almost  useless  to  go  to  look  for  the  others;  l)ut  we 
went,  more  from  sound  principle  than  from  hope.  Within 
ten  yards  of  where  we  had  fired  at  the  first  Deer,  lay  a  three- 
year-old  buck,  dead,  shot  through  the  shoulder.  And  now 
the  question  arose,  had  we  l^een  shooting  at  only  one  during 
the  lirst  part  of  the  programme,  or  had  there  been  two  Deer  ? 
A  little  circling  around  revealed  a  track  leading  away  in 
full  run,  and  following  it  about  a  hundred  yards,  we  found 
another  three  year-old,  dead,  with  two  bullets  in  him.  The 
second  had  evidently  risen  almost  into  the  place  vacated  by 
the  first  one,  and  the  first  was  the  last  one  we  found. 


THE  VIRGINIA  DEER. 


By  Wai.tek  M.  Wolfe  ("  Shoshone  " ). 


^a,,HIS  animal  is  so  well  known  to  students  of  natural 
history,  and  there  is  so  much  literature  extant  con- 
cerning ^it,  that  little  remains  to  be  said.  It  is 
^^  doubtful,  indeed,  if  any  facts  can  be  stated  that  will 
be  new  to  science;  and  yet,  as  this  volume  will  be  read  by 
the  youth  of  this  and  succeeding  generations,  many  of  whom 
may  not  previously  have  studied  other  works  on  the  Cer- 
mdcB,  it  is  deemed  proper  to  give  here  a  brief  technical 
description  of  Virglnianus,  with  such  other  facts  as  the 
writer  has  accumulated  in  hunting  and  studying  it.  This 
species  can  not  be  described  more  tersely  or  accurately  than 
in  the  words  of  the  Hon,  John  Dean  Caton,  and  I  therefore 
take  the  liberty  of  quoting  from  his  valuable  work,  "The 
Antelope  and  Deer  of  America,"  the  description  of  this 
animal,  which  is  as  follows: 

About  the  size  of  the  Columbia  Deer,  with  longer  legs  and  longer  body; 
head  lean  and  slim;  nose  pointed  and  naked;  eyes  large  and  lustrous;  ears 
small  and  trim;  antlers  have  a  spreading  posterior  projection,  and  then  curve 
anteriorly,  with  posterior  tines;  neck  long  and  slender;  body  long  for  its  size; 
tail  long  and  lanceolate  in  form;  legs  straight  and  long. 

Lachrymal  sinus  covered  with  a  fold  of  skin;  tarsal  gland  present;  meta- 
tarsal gland  small,  and,  below  the  middle  of  the  leg,  naked  and  surroiuided  by 
white  hairs;  outside  of  these  there  is  usually  a  baud  of  dark-brown  hairs,  which 
are  surrounded  by  long  reversed  hairs  of  the  color  of  the  leg. 

Two  annual  pelages.  Summer  coat,  from  bay-red  to  buff-yellow;  winter 
coat,  a  leaden  gray,  greatly  variant.  Deciduous  antlers,  and  confined  to  the 
males . 

The  Judge  then  gives  the  following  observations  as  to 
its  habitat,  range,  etc, : 

This  Deer  has  the  widest  range  of  any  member  of  the  family,  in  any  part 
of  the  world.  Its  range  is  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  extending  into 
Canada  and  Briti.sh  Columbia  on  the  north,  and  penetrating  far  into  Mexico 
on  the  south.     It  may  be  found  to-day  in  every  State  and  Territory  of  the 

(185) 


186  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

United  States.  It  iulmbits  alike  the  dense  woodlands  and  open  prairies,  the 
high  mountains  and  the  lowest  valleys,  the  arid  plains  and  the  marshy  swamps. 

As  we  might  well  expect,  from  its  wide  distribution  and  varied  range,  we 
find  several  more  or  less  distinctly  marked  varieties  of  this  species,  all  of 
which  have  Avell-defined  indicia  which  determine  their  specific  identity. 

From  its  wide  distribution  and  great  numbers,  it  is  quite  familiar  to  nearly 
all  Americans,  and  is  almost  the  only  one  known  to  most  of  them. 

In  form  and  action  it  is  the  most  graceful  of  all,  and  has  been  more  fre- 
quently domesticated  than  any  other;  yet  rarely  have  persistent  attempts  been 
made  to  reduce  it  to  complete  and  permanent  domestication.  When  young  it 
is  a  pretty  pet  around  the  premises;  but  in  a  few  years  it  becomes  dangerous, 
and  so  is  generally  got  rid  of.  In  its  markings  it  is  less^ stable  than  either  of 
the  other  species.  In  shades  of  color  there  are  wide  differences  among  indi- 
viduals in  the  same  neighborhood,  while  fugitive  markings  are  frequently 
observed  which  are  present  only  for  a  single  year,  and  some  individuals  have 
permanent  markings  which  are  wanting  in  others.  In  summer  pelage  a  large 
majority  are  of  a  bay-red,  and  with  a  great  diversity  in  shade,  while  others 
of  the  same  herd  will  be  of  a  buff-yellow;  between  these  extremes  almost  every 
shiide  may  be  seen. 

In  a  given  neighborhood  there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  size  of  indi- 
viduals, but  there  is  a  permanent  difference  in  size  in  different  localities;  the 
smallest  being  found  in  the  southern  part  of  the  range  bordering  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  and  in  Northern  Mexico,  the  westerly  ones  being  the  smallest  of  all, 
where  they  have  been  classed  by  naturalists  as  a  separate  species,  under  the 
name  of  Cervux  Mcj^icanus.  In  their  northern  range  and  in  the  mountainous 
regions  of  the  West,  the  white  portion  covers  a  larger  surface  of  the  body  than 
in  other  regions,  where  they  have  been  ranked  by  many  naturalists  as  a  sepa- 
rate species  under  the  name  of  Cervus  lucurus.  By  hunters  these  have  been 
called  the  Long-tailed  or  White-tailed  Deer,  the  latter  name  having  been  used 
by  Lewis  and  Clarke,  while  in  truth  their  tails  are  no  longer  than  those  found 
in  other  regions.  From  the  larger  extent  of  white  frequently,  if  not  generallj', 
found  on  them,  we  might  possibly  be  justified  in  assigning  them  the  distinction 
of  a  variety,  though  this  peculiarity  is  by  no  means  universal,  for  manj-  indi- 
viduals can  not  be  distinguished  from  those  found  in  Illinois  or  Wisconsin.  I 
have  one  specimen,  from  Northwestern  ^linncsota,  with  all  the  legs  entirely 
white  to  several  inches  above  the  hocks  and  knees,  with  occasionally  a  tawny 
hair  interspersed  among  the  white.  The  white  on  the  belly,  too,  extends  up 
the  sides  farther  than  is  usually  observed.  This  is  exceptional,  though  not 
very  uncommon  in  the  Northwest,  but  I  have  never  seen  it  in  their  middle  or 
southern  range.  I  have  never  found  any  black  on  the  tails  or  faces  of  the 
northern  variety,  while  it  is  common  on  more  southern  and  eastern  varieties. 
This  accords  with  a  law — which,  however,  is  not  universal — by  which  we  are 
led  to  expect  more  while  on  the  same  species  of  quadrupeds  or  birds  which  are 
permanently  located  in  the  North  than  on  those  located  in  the  South. 

The  antlers  of  the  Virginia  Deer  are  peculiar,  and  easily  recognized.  The 
curvature  descril)ed  is  more  abrupt  than  on  an}'  other  species,  while  the  pos- 
terior projection  of  the  tines  from  the  beam  is  peculiar  to  this  Deer,  except  that 


THE  VIRGINIA   DEER. 


187 


it  is  sometimes  observed  on  exceptional  antlers  of  the  Mule  Deer  and  the 
Columbia  Deer. 

The  Virginia  Deer  is  the  wildest,  shyest,  shrewdest,  and 
the  most  difficult  to  hunt,  successfully,  of  all  the  species  of 
Ceri^klce  on  this  continent,  and  though  many  thousands  of 
them  are  killed  every  year,   yet  many  thousands  more 


escape  the  hunter's  rifle  where,  under  like  conditions,  either 
the  Mule  Deer  or  the  Columbia  Black-tail  would  have 
been  successfully  stalked  and  killed.  Few  naturalists,  even, 
who  are  not  sportsmen  as  well,  realize  the  difficulty  of 
approaching  this  animal;  and  no  one  who  has  not  hunted 
it  can  realize  the  degree  of  patience  and  skill  that  the  man 
must  possess  who,  generally  speaking,  can  go  into  the  forest 


188  BUi   (iA.ME   OF   NOUTII    AMERICA. 

and  kill,  bj"  still-lmnting,  a  Virginia  Deer.  No  one  who 
has  not  tried  it  can  ever  know  the  weary  hours  of  cautious, 
stealthy  treading  through  woods,  thickets,  and  over  hills, 
the  intense  strain  on  the  senses  and  the  nervous  system, 
the  great  concentration  of  intellect  on  the  work  in  hand, 
of  the  man  who  successfully  copes  with  this  denizen  of  the 
shadows.  No  one  who  has  not  felt  it  can  realize  the 
chagrin,  the  keen  disappointment,  that  the  hunter  feels 
when,  after  hours  of  stalking  on  the  fresh  trail  of  a  buck, 
in  the  new-fallen  snow,  he  hears  a  whispered  thump!  tlium])! 
away  on  the  hill-side,  and  looks  up  Just  in  time  to  see  one 
sway  of  the  great  white  Hag  as  the  quarry  disappears  over 
the  ridge.  No  animal  living  has  such  eyes,  such  eai's,  and 
such  a  nose  as  the  Virginia  Deer. 

In  the  Indian  sign-language,  the  name  of  this  animal  is 
indicated  by  a  gentle  wave  of  the  uplifted  hand  from  right 
to  left  and  back  again,  and  so  familiar  is  the  motion  to  the 
eye  of  every  still-hunter,  that  any  member  of  the  craft, 
though  he  might  never  have  heard  that  there  was  a  sign- 
language,  would  know  at  once  to  what  the  motion  referred. 

I  wish  it  were  possible  to  correct  in  the  minds  of  all 
sportsmen  and  students,  at  once  and  for  all  time,  the  many 
erroneous  notions  that  prevail  among  them  concerning  the 
existence  of  distinct  species  or  varieties  of  tliis  Deer. 
Recently,  a  number  of  communications  were  pul)lished  in 
one  of  the  sportsmen's  journals,  in  which  the  writers  claimed 
that  a  distinct  variety  of  Deer  exists  in  portions  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  which  they  termed  the  "Fan-tailed 
Deer.''  They  based  this  classification  on  the  fact  that  the 
tails  of  certain  White-tailed  Deer  in  that  region  were  much 
wider  than  those  of  the  White-tailed  Deer  in  other  portions 
of  the  country — that  is,  that  the  hair  on  the  sides  of  the  tail 
was  longer,  and  grew  straight  out,  instead  of  down,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  eastern  variety.  Some  of  these  correspondents 
further  claimed  that  this  Deer  did  not  grow  as  large  as 
Virf/lnlanus. 

In  many  sections  of  the  country  we  hear  native  hunters 
assert  that  there  are  in  their  vicinity  two  species  or  varieties 


TH'E   VIRGINIA   DEER.  189 

of  Deer — the  swami)  Deer  and  the  upland  Deer,  Some  of 
them  tell  lis  that  the  swamp  Deer  has  longer  legs  and  a 
longer,  more  slender  body  than  the  ux)land  Deer.  Others, 
again,  give  us  exactly  the  opposite  statement.  Still  others 
tell  us  that  they  have  killed  what  they  term  crosses  between 
these  two  varieties.  In  the  Far  ^Vest  we* occasionally  hear 
of  crosses  between  the  Mule  Deer  and  the  Virginia  Deer. 

In  Michigan' and  Wisconsin,  albinos  are  killed  occasion- 
ally, and  many  native  hunters  believe,  religiously,  that 
these  constitute  a  distinct  species;  that  should  a  white  buck 
and  a  white  doe  mate,  the  result  would  be  a  wdiite  fawn. 
But  all  these  theories  are  knocked  in  the  head  occasionally 
by  some  one  seeing  or  killing  a  white  doe  with  a  fawn  by 
her  side  of  the  usual  color,  or  vice  versa.  In  two  instances 
that  have  come  to  my  knowledge,  a  doe  and  two  fawns  have 
been  seen  together,  one  of  the  latter  being  white  and  the 
other  two  meml)ers  of  tlie  fannly  being  of  the  regulation 
color.  AH)inos,  in  any  species  of  quadruped  or  bird,  where- 
ever  found,  are  simply  a  freak  of  nature,  and  not  the  result 
of  heredity.  Size,  color,  length  of  legs,  and  shape  of  body 
may,  and  do,  vary  widely  in  specimens  of  the  Virginia  Deer, 
as  in  many  other  wild  animals,  without  constituting  distinct 
varieties  or  species.  These  variations  are  due  only  to 
individual  characteristics,  and  not  to  natural  and  lixed  laws. 
It  would  be  as  absurd  to  say  that  all  horses  must  be  of  the 
same  size,  shape,  and  color,  as  that  all  Deer  of  this  or  any 
other  given  species  must  be  so. 

The  vitality  of  the  Virginia  Deer  is  a  subject  of  wonder 
to  men  who  have  hunted  it.  In  this  respect  it  ranks  second 
only  to  the  Antelope. 

The  negroes  of  the  South  frequently  erect  scythes  or 
sharp  stakes  in  their  runways,  knowing  that  the  Deer,  in 
leaping  over  some  log  or  fence,  will  l)e  so  mutilated  that  he 
will  drop  within  half  a  mile.  Thus  many  a  cabin,  without 
labor  on  the  part  of  its  occupants,  is  kept  supplied  with 
venison. 

Market-hunters  have  well-nigh  exterminated  the  Deer  in 
the  Adiroiidacks.   When  they  think  that  they  are  safe  from 


190  BIG   OAMK   OF   NOUTII   AMERICA. 

the  observation  of  giiine-\vaiden«,  all  the  dogs  that  will  fol- 
low a  trail  are  brought  into  requisition,  and  the  Deer  are 
driven  into  the  water,  Avhere,  perfectly  helpless,  a  club,  ax, 
or  a  ritie  completes  the  work  of  butchery.  In  the  winter, 
''crusting"  is  followed  by  these  mountaineers,  and  when  the 
weather  is  too  warm  for  venison  to  keep,  it  is  jerked,  and 
then  sent  to  market.  The  "Jack-o'-lantern"  method,  in 
favor  among  some  hunters,  is  scarcely  more  commendable. 
The  Deer  is  given  no  chance  of  escape,  but  is  frequently 
only  wounded,  and  left  to  crawl  off  into  the  bushes  and  die. 
Give  a  Deer  a  chance,  and  he  will  run  or  fight  as  the  emer- 
gency requires.    When  he  does  fight,  he  is  no  mean  enemy. 

The  Virginia  Deer  was  the  first  game  hunted  on  this 
continent  by  the  whites,  and  though,  like  the  Buffalo,  he 
has  been  driven  from  many  of  his  native  haunts,  he  is  not 
in  like  danger  of  becoming  extinct.  Adequate  and  well- 
enforced  laws  will  preserve  him  in  the  East,  and  there  is 
little  danger  of  his  being  run  out  of  either  the  Lake  Supe- 
rior or  Lake  Michigan  region,  orfrcmi  the  lowei*  Mississippi 
States.  His  jiursuit  calls  into  play  all  the  mental  and 
X^hysical  energies  of  the  sportsman,  and  there  is  nothing 
nobler  in  the  chase  than  either  of  the  legitimate  methods 
of  hunting  this  beautiful  animal. 

Sportsmen  in  different  sections  of  the  country  have  their 
own  peculiar  methods  of  hunting  the  Deei'.  A  rilie  is  ridi- 
culed by  the  men  who  hunt  in  the  cane-brakes  of  Louisiana, 
and  a  shotgun  is  an  abomination  in  the  Adirondacks  or  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  As  a  rule,  along  the  Atlantic  Coast 
and  in  the  South,  hounds  are  employed  in  hunting  Deer.  •  In 
the  West  they  are  regarded  as  useless.  It  makes  no  differ- 
ence, however,  where  the  tyro  goes  for  his  sport,  he  must 
get  over  the  ''buck-fever'"  before  he  can  bec(mie  a  success- 
ful sportsman,  or  really  enjoy  the  chase.  The  mere  killing 
of  game  does  not  entitle  a  man  to  the  freedom  and  priv- 
ileges of  the  craft. 

Several  years  ago,  the  writer  was  introduced  to  a  miner 
in  El  Dorado  County,  California,  who,  from  the  amount  of 
venison  he  brou<'ht  into  market,  was  esteemed  a  veritable 


THE  VIRGINIA    DEER.  191 

Nimrod  througlioiit  the  whole  region.  He  offered  to  give 
me  all  the  Deer-shooting  I  wanted  if  I  would  go  with  him, 
so  I  took  a  half -day's  ride  with  him  to  his  cabin  in  the 
mountains.  Near  his  house  was  a  bed  of  white  clay  that 
had  been  exposed  by  hydraulic  miners.  On  the  bluff  above 
this  was  a  large  pine-tree,  and  in  this  a  platform  or  box  had 
been  built.  I  inquired  as  to  its  use,  and  was  told  that  I 
would  find  out  before  long.  There  was  yet  no  sign  of  dawn 
when  we  started  out  with  our  rifles,  the  next  morning,  and 
what  was  my  surprise  to  see  that  the  Nimrod  carried  a  pair 
of  blankets  with  him.  Did  he  intend  to  spend  the  next 
night  in  the  wilderness,  or  did  he  intend  to  blindfold  his 
game  and  lead'it  home?  Neither.  He  simply  went  to  that 
pine-tree,  climbed  up  to  the  box,  bj^  means  of  pegs  that  he 
had  inserted  during  his  leisure  hours,  and,  wrapping  the 
blankets  about  him,  dozed  as  contented!}^  as  though  he  were 
in  bed.  As  soon  as  it  was  light,  a  couple  of  Deer  came  down 
the  trail  to  the  clay-bed,  where  they  had  a  "lick."  They 
were  not  thirty  yards  from  us  as  we  peered  over  the  top  of 
the  box,  and  as  our  rifles  cracked  together,  both  fell  in 
their  tracks.  That  was  enough  for  me.  Such  work  is  not 
sport,  but  butchery. 

The  woods  of  Northern  New  York  and  New  England 
are  practically  hunted  out.  Sportsmen  from  the  large 
cities,  provided  with  all  the  comforts  and  appliances  of  civ- 
ilization, visit  these  resorts,  and  they  are  bound  to  secure 
some  trophies,  regardless  of  either  method  or  law. 

Good  shooting  may  be  had  in  Minnesota,  where  Virgin- 
ianus  is  ^o  abundant  as  to  be,  in  many  places,  a  nuisance 
to  the  farmer.  Deer  infest  the  young  wheat-fields  and 
vegetable-patches  of  the  Scandinavian  homesteaders,  who 
lie  in  wait  for  them  with  old-fashioned  muzzle-loading  mus- 
kets heavily  charged  with  bucksliot.  The  Deer  do  their 
feeding  principally^  at  night,  spending  the  day-time  in  the 
thickets.  As  soon  as  acorns  are  ripe,  they  travel  on  the 
ridges  at  night  and  live  among  the  jack-oaks. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Beatty  says:  "The  bucks  make  'scrapes*  in 
the  open  woods,  which  they  visit  at  night  to  see  if  the  does 


192  IJKi   (JAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

have  crossed,*  and  follow  any  trails  that  may  be  found.  As 
the  cold  weather  and  drifting  snow  drives  them  from  the 
open  districts,  they  work  back  into  the  lieavy  pine  timber 
and  immense  tamarack  swamps.  Here  they  collect  in  bands, 
and  roam  about,  feeding  on  kinnikinic,  hazel-brush,  oaks, 
pines,  tamamck,  and  a  species  of  fungus  which  grows  in 
the  swami)s.  In  the  spring  they  return  to  their  old  haunts, 
in  an  emaciated  condition,  to  recruit  and  have  their  fawns." 

In  the  dense  brush  of  these  northern  swamps  a  shotgun 
will  possibly  secure  more  Deer  than  a  ritle,  but  so  many 
wounded  animals  will  get  away  from  the  shotgun-hunter, 
only  to  die  a  lingering  death  in  the  swamps,  that,  after  all, 
the  use  of  the  rifle  seems  jn'eferable.  Its  successful  use 
requires  more  skill,  and  it  is  the  true  sportsman's  weapon 
when  in  jiursuit  of  big  game. 

The  "Swamp  Deer"  of  Minnesota  and  the  little  "Red 
Deer"  of  Florida  arp  identical  except  as  to  size,  and  the 
variation  in  this  is  simply  the  result  of  environment. 

One  of  my  most  enjoyal)le  Deer-hunts  was  on  the  Red 
River,  in  Southwestern  Arkansas.  Deer,  Bears,  and  Tur- 
keys were  plentiful  there  in  those  days,  and  I  presume  are 
yet.  We  started  out  early  in  the  morning — the  Doctor, 
myself,  two  freedmen,  who  wei-e  l)C)rn  hunters,  and  a  mag- 
nificent pack  of  such  liounds  as  are  to  be  found  only  south 
of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line.  The  horseback-ride  of  five 
miles,  thrf)ugli  the  rolling,  low-timbered  country,  was 
enough  to  whet  the  ardor  of  any  hunter.  We  saw  plenty 
of  gobblers,  but  they  were  not  the  game  we  were  after,  and 
as  they  hid  themselves  as  speedily  as  possil)le,  the  tempta- 
tion to  shoot  was  soon  removed. 

As  we  neared  Creighton's  Bayou,  we  struck  a  number  of 
trails  that  were  too  cold  to  allow  the  dogs  to  follow  them. 
Suddenly,  one  trail  turned  from  the  bayou  toward  the  river. 
The  indications  were  that  the  Deer  had  gone  early  to  water. 
This  we  wtM'e  soon  assured  of.  for  after  the   trail   turned 

*  I  can  not  inilorsf  this  statt-nu-iit  (if  BeattyV.  Th»-  tiiioks  ilo  paw  up  the  ground  in 
the  nittin;r-si'ason.  Imt  not  for  the  puriMisc  of  revfaliu;^;  the  tracks  of  the  does.  The  buck 
trails  tlie  (liM-  liy  seent.  not  by  sigiit.  — Editou. 


THE   VIRGINIA   DEER.  1U3 

from  the  stream,  the  dogs  opened  freely.  We  were  satisfied 
that  if  we  could  keep  up  with  the  pack,  we  could  get  a  shot 
as  the  Deer  jumped  from  its  bed.  The.  sun  was  already 
quite  hot,  and  it  was  none  too  early  for  the  Beer  to  take  his 
customary  rest. 

Suddenly  the  trail  led  into  a  little  open  glade,  where 
were  fallen  trees  and  tall  ferns.  I  had  just  time  to  formu- 
late the  idea  that  our  game  was  here,  when  the  hounds 
plunged  into  the  brakes,  and  up  sprang  a  magnilicent  buck. 
Before  I  could  dismount,  the  Doctor's  bullet  whizzed  past 
me,  and  the  buck  dropped,  stunned,  but  far  from  dead. 
The  hounds  were  upon  him  in  an  instant,  but  had  he  not 
been  so  furious,  he  could  have  escaped  from  them.  Then 
began  a  terrific  battle,  between  horns  and  hoofs  on  the  one 
side  and  sharp  teeth  on  the  other.  The  combatants  shifted 
positions  each  second,  and  at  first  we  could  get  in  no  fair 
shot.  Finally,  one  of  the  largest  of  the  dogs  got  a  fair  hold 
on  the  Deer  s  throat,  and  as  he  tossed  back  his  head  jore- 
X)aratory  to  striking,  both  of  us  fired,  and  the  buck  fell 
without  a  struggle.  One  of  the  dogs  was  so  badly  cut  that 
it  had  to  be  killed,  and  another  was  severely  injured. 

After  this  diversion,  we  set  to  work  to  carry  out  the  pro- 
gramme of  the  day.  We  were  to  have  a  regular  drive.  Near 
the  bayou  were  two  runs.  The  Doctor  took  his  stand  at 
one,  and  I  at  the  other.  The  freedmen  took  charge  of  the 
hounds,  and  easily  divided  them  into  two  packs,  as  they 
were  accustomed  to  being  hunted  in  this  way.  It  seemed 
an  age  that  we  waited  there,  and  I  began  to  think  that  if 
the  hounds  had  started  any  game  they  had  driven  it  in  some 
other  direction. 

At  length  I  heard  the  faint  cry  of  the  pack.  They  were 
coming  our  way.  I  had  plenty  of  time,  and  step]Ded  out  to 
look  up  the  trail  when  I  found  myself  facing  a  buck  that 
was  trotting  leisurely  down  to  the  water.  He  saw  me  as 
soon  as  I  saw  him,  and  wheeled  like  a  flash;  but  he  was  not 
more  than  fifty  yards  away,  and  before  he  could  reach  the 
underbrush  I  fired,  and  he  dropped.  The  hounds  were 
coming  nearer,  so  I  did  not  dare  take  time  to  cut  his  throat. 

13 


194  BIG   GAMK   OF   NORTH   AMp:i{ICA. 

A  few  luonieiits,  however,  convinced  nie  that  they  were  on 
the  other  run,  and  tliat  the  Doctor  could  look  out  for  that 
part  of  the  field.     I  reached  my  buck  to  lind  him  stone-dead. 

In  the  meantime,  two  reports  had  rung  out  from  the 
Doctor's  stand,  and  I  was  decidedly  jealous,  as  I  supposed 
he  had  certainly  secured  three  Deer  to  my  one;  so  I  left  my 
game  where  it  was  and  started  to  find  him. 

"Hello,  old  man,  what  have  you  goti!"  I  shouted  as  I 
came  in  sight  of  my  partner,  who  was  keeping  the  hounds 
from  a  spotted  object  that  lay  quivering  among  the  ferns. 

"A  measly  fawn,"  was  his  reply. 

It  turned  out  that  a  doe  and  fawn  had  been  driven 
down,  and  the  Doctor  had  vowed  he  would  never  kill  a  doe. 
His  lirst  shot  had  missed  the  fawn,  and  he  was  mad  at  him- 
self for  having  had  to  fire  a  second  time.  It  must  have  been 
that  the  buck  I  shot  had  not  been  started  by  the  dogs,  but 
had  heard  them  in  the  distance,  and  imagined  that  he  had 
plenty  of  time  to  escape  before  they  struck  his  tracks. 

Jeff  had  now  reached  us,  but  of  Zeb  and  the  other  pack 
we  had  heard  nothing.  We  would  have  any  where  from  ten 
minutes  to  half  an  hour's  notice  of  their  approach,  so  the 
time  seemed  most  opi)ortune  for  the  lunch  which  Avas  on 
our  saddles.  We  did  full  justice  to  the  cold  chicken,  sand- 
wiches, and  hard-boiled  eggs  while  Jeff  was  dressing  the 
game,  and  then  our  helper,  having  helped  himself,  started 
away  with  the  pack.  We  lighted  our  ''Lone  Jack''  and 
"Perique,"  and  resumed  our  stands,  awaiting  further 
developments. 

The  exercise  of  the  morning  and  the  sultry  stillness  of 
the  forest  at  noon  made  me  drowsy.  It  seemed  safe  to 
indulge  in  a  little  siesta.  The  hounds  would  surely  awaken 
me  in  time  to  get  a  shot  if  they  came  my  way,  so  I  sat  down, 
and,  leaning  against  the  tree  in  the  warm  sunlight,  was 
soon  out  of  Arkansas  and  awny  up  among  the  Green  Mount- 
ains, where  I  caught  my  first  trout  and  killed  my  first  Deer. 

How  long  I  dreamed  I  can  not  tell.  Suddenly  there  was 
a  confusion  of  bays  and  yelps,  and,  as  I  opened  my  eyes,  a 
streak  of  dun  and  white  Hashed  by  the  tree.     1  pulled  up 


THE  VIRGINIA   DEEE.  195 

my  rifle,  fired  without  taking  aim,  and,  as  the  hounds 
swept  by,  I  heard  the  splash  of  the  Deer  as  lie  plunged  into 
the  bayou.  The  packs  were  together,  with  Jeff  and  Zeb 
close  behind.  I  told  them  to  follow  the  dogs,  and  then, 
getting  my  horse  from  the  thicket  where  he  was  tied,  joined 
the  chase,  accompanied  by  the  Doctor,  who  had  heard  the 
noise  and  come  over  to  see  what  had  been  the  result  of  my 
shot. 

Far  across  the  bayou  the  voices  of  dogs  and  men  were 
growing  fainter;  but  our  horses  were  fresher  than  either 
Deer  or  dogs,  and  we  hoped  to  be  in  at  the  death.  Before 
reaching  the  water  we  saw  blood,  which  gave  us  hope.  The 
ba\ou  was  shallow;  nevertheless,  we  were  well  soaked  when 
we  emerged  on  the  opposite  bank.  And  now  there  was  no 
longer  a  beaten  track  to  follow.  Stout  creepers  threatened 
to  sweep  us  from  our  steeds;  fallen  trunks  invited  a  fall; 
marshy  holes  were  all  about  us;  but  we  kept  on — rifle  in  one 
hand,  reins  in  the  other.  First  a  branch  knocked  off  tlie 
Doctors  hat;  a  moment  later,  mine  followed  suit.  White 
foam  crept  out  from  beneath  the  saddle-blankets.  So  we 
rode,  regardless  of  everything  but  Deer  and  hounds. 

The  swamp  was  finally  passed,  the  hill  was  climbed,  and 
we  were  riding  along  the  ridge,  when  the  noises  that  we  fol- 
lowed stopped.  Then  came  the  fire-cracker-like  report  of 
Jeff' s  revolver. 

"It's  all  up  with  us,"  said  the  Doctor;  "we  may  as  well 
let '  em  w^alk  the  rest  of  the  way. ' ' 

The  horses  were  in  for  sport,  however,  as  well  as  we 
and  the  hounds,  and  would  not  slacken  until  the  end  of  the 
chase. 

It  was  a  hot  late-summer  afternoon.  Down  among  the 
creepers,  in  a  little  glade,  lay  the  Deer.  The  dogs  were 
resting  under  the  trees.  With  loosened  girths  and  dripping- 
flanks,  the  horses  wandered  in  the  shade.  Our  freedmen 
were  lazih^  smoking  away  the  mosquitoes.  The  day's  hunt- 
ing was  over. 

I  had  held  low,  and  the  ball,  inflicting  a  slight  wound 
just  above  the  knee,  had  ranged  forward  so  as  to  expose  a 


196  1U(;  GAMK  OF  Noirni  America. 

portion  of  the  intestines.  Had  the  Deer  been  allowed  to 
lie  down  and  give  nature  a  chance,  he  might  have  come  out 
all  right.  As  it  was,  the  odds  were  against  him,  but  lie 
kept  X)luckily  on  until  his  viscera  began  to  drop  out,  and 
then  the  hounds  soon  had  him. 

We  had  a  twe],ve-miie  ride  back  to  the  plantation,  cross- 
ing that  vile  bayou,  and  leaving  the  colored  men  to  attend 
to  the  game  and  hounds.  But,  tired  and  hungry  as  we 
were,  we  delayed  eating  until  we  could  get  a  juicy  cutlet 
from  the  fawn,  and  then  we  were  ready  to  make  the  same 
trip  on  the  morrow. 

As  already  stated,  the  range  of  the  '\^irginia  Deer  is 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  on  the  west 
by  the  Pacific.  I  have  met  him  in  various  portions  of  the 
Far  AVest,  on  the  plains,  in  the  mountains,  in  the  gi*eat 
river  valleys,  and  among  the  foot-hills. 

It  may  not  l)e  amiss  to  reproduce  here  portions  of  an  arti- 
cle wiiicli  I  recently  contributed  to  Sports  Afield^  descriptive 
of  one  of  my  hunting-trips  in  Western  Wyoming,  on  which 
occasion  we  killed  several  Deer,  in  addition  to  Antelope 
and  Mountain  Sheep.     The  story  runs  thus  : 

The  last  round-up  of  the  year  was  over.  The  last  train- 
load  of  cattle  bearing  the  G-square  brand  was  on  its  way  to 
Chicago.  The  corral  was  deserted.  Narboe  and  the  boys 
had  gone  to  Green  Kiver,  and  I  was  alone.  I  was  blue.  We 
boys  who  have  rustled  about  mining-claim's  and  cow-camps, 
living  on  fat  bacon,  wrapping  our  blankets  about  us  at 
night  and  lying  on  the  cold  ground,  with  the  starry  dome 
for  a  canopy,  with  the  howl  of  the  coyote  for  a  lullaby, 
know  what  it  is  to  be  blue.  It  was  Christmas-tide,  and  as  I 
watched  the  smoke  of  the  receding  engine  become  fainter 
and  fainter,  and  linally  lose  itself  in  the  haze  of  Red  Des- 
ert, there  was  a  big  lump  in  my  tlii'oat,  I  wanted  excite- 
ment; so  I  turned  to  the  shed,  saddled  Old  Calamity, 
mounted,  and  with  my  40-00  BuUard  across  \\\\  lap,  rode-- 
not  eastward,  but  westward  down  the  saline  waters  of 
Bitter  Creek. 


THE   VIRGINIA   DEER.  197 

It  was  a  dreary  day — cold,  cloudy,  and  cheerless  as  my 
own  tliouglits.  There  were  but  two  section-houses  in  the 
twenty  odd  miles  to  be  traversed.  Once  in  awhile  a  great 
gray  sage-cock  would  dart  across  the  trail,  and  on  the  sum- 
mit of  a  distant  hill  I  saw  the  branching  antlers  of  a  Black- 
tailed  Deer.  A  pair  of  green-winged  teal  arose  from  the 
surface  of  a  brackish  pool,  and  I  wondered  what  they  were 
doing  in  such  a  God-forsaken  region.  Then  the  canon  grew 
more  narrow.  Its  northern  side  was  a  precipice  of  naked 
rock.  Here  and  there  a  hole  in  the  wall  and  a  blackened 
dump  showed  where  prospectors  had  sought  for  coal,  but 
now  everything  was  the  personification  of  desolation. 

It  was  past  noon  when  I  reached  the  station,  section- 
house,  and  corral  that  are  named,  on  the  Union  Pacific's 
time-card.  Point  of  Rocks.  Here  the  hills  broke,  and  a  road 
— scarce  more  than  a  trail — led  northward  to  the  valley  of 
the  Sweetwater  and  to  the  beauties  of  the  Yellowstone.  From 
this  point  my  route  lay  northward  into  the  heart  of  the 
game-preserve.  It  was  too  late  in  the  season  for  the  regular 
teamsters.  Two  weeks  ago  the  last  wagon-train  had  started 
for  Lander,  Atlantic,  and  South  Pass.  It  would  be  April 
or  May  before  they  returned.  Fortunately,  Frank  Moffat, 
the  station-agent's  brother,  and  Si  Johnson,  his  partner, 
were  at  the  depot,  and  the  next  morning  were  going  twenty 
miles  northward  to  their  lonely  ranch,  to  look  after  their 
cattle.  A  hunting-trip  was  quickly  made  up,  and  I  rejoiced 
at  the  thought  of  going  into,  to  me,  a  terra  incognita.  By 
the  aid  of  a  musty  pile  of  yellow-covered  fiction,  and  the 
cheerful  conversation  of  the  cowboys,  the  afternoon  and 
evening  passed  quickly  away,  and  we  started  early  the  next 
morning  for  the  mountains. 

A  long  and  dreary  ride  lay  before  us,  and  it  was  too  cold 
to  devote  any  attention  to  the  grandeur  of  the  desert 
scenery.  About  five  o'clock  we  reached  Moffat's  ranch, 
where  a  hundred  or  two  gaunt  steers  were  gathered  about 
a  bog-hole,  and  a  shed  half-sunk  in  the  hill-side  sheltered 
half  a  dozen  range  horses.  The  cabin  was  built  at  the  edge 
of  the  mesa,  where  it  caught  the  full  force  of  the  bitter 


198  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

wintry  winds.  It  was  built  of  railroad-ties  and  mud,  warm 
enough  in  its  way,  but  somewhat  close,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  its  one  window  was  nailed  in  position.  A  sheet-iron 
stove  occupied  one  corner,  a  bunk  one  end,  a  table  one  side, 
and  the  remainder  was  more  than  comfortably  filled  with 
saddles,  harness,  ammunition,  and  provisions.  Boxes 
served  as  chairs,  but,  after  a  supper  of  bacon,  fried  potatoes, 
hot  bread  and  molasses,  it  proved  a  very  comfortable  place 
for  a  game  of  "  high-five." 

We  were  again  on  the  way  early  in  the  morning,  riding 
northward  in  the  face  of  a  stiff,  cutting  zephyr  from  the 
summits  of  the  Wind  River  Mountains.  It  is  never  very 
warm  before  sunrise  at  an  elevation  of  seventy -five  hundred 
feet,  and  on  this  Christmas  morning  the  cold  was  almost 
unendurable.  We  were  clad  as  warmly  as  was  consistent 
with  freedom  of  movement,  and  our  x>ockets  were  full  of 
cartridges. 

Northward,  still  northward;  the  rising  sun  showed  Table 
Rock  and  Old  Steamboat  to  the  left,  Sweetwater  to  the  east, 
while  far  ahead  the  mighty  peaks  of  the  Wind  River  Range 
shone  like  icicles  above  the  clouds.  We  passed  a  wallow  in 
which  four  Buffalo  were  taking  their  morning  drink.  Away 
they  went  over  the  alkaline  waste,  and  we  did  not  pursue. 
They  were  the  last  Bison  that  I  saw,  and  probably  the  last 
that  I  shall  ever  see  outside  of  an  inclosure.  Possibly  they 
are  the  same  bunch  that  were  captured  last  summer  on  Red 
Desert.     About  nine  o'  clock  we  came  to  a  steep  slope. 

"Duck  your  head,"  said  Si;  "we  always  see  Antelope 
here." 

Sure  enough,  we  reached  the  crest  in  time  to  start  a  bunch 
of  seven  within  a  hundred  yards.  We  were  off  our  horses 
and  got  in  a  couple  of  shots  before  they  were  out  of  range. 
"Durn  our  skins,"  was  all  my  companion  said,  as  he  re- 
mounted!, which  w^as  sufficient  evidence  to  me  that  we  had 
thrown  away  our  ammunition. 

Away  we  went  after  them,  and  had  ridden,  perhaps,  half 
a  mile,  when  a  sheep-like  "Ba-a-a"  on  one  side  made  us 
puJl  up.     There  lay  a  young  doe  shot  through  the  hind 


THE   VIRGINIA   DEEK.  •  199 

quarters.  How  she  had  managed  to  run  so  far  was  a 
mystery.  Si  cut  her  throat,  and  soon  tlie  quarters  were 
dangling  from  the  saddle-horns,  as  we  galloped  northward. 
Later  in  the  day,  another  band  was  found,  and  several  more 
were  killed,  loaded  up,  and  then  the  homeward  trail  was 
struck.  But  the  sport  of  the  day  was  not  over.  When 
within  two  miles  of  the  cabin  a  magnificent  buck  started 
from  a  sheltering  arroyo,  and  before  he  passed  over  the  hill 
a  ball  whistled  over  him,  which  considerably  accelerated  his 
speed.  We  considered  the  chances  as  ten  to  one  that  we 
would  never  see  him  again;  but  he  could  not  run  a  bluif 
with  impunity,  so  we  cached  the  Antelope-meat  and  started 
in  i^ursuit.  After  a  hot  ride  of  an  hour,  w^e  started  him 
from  another  canon.  This  time  he  doubled  on  his  trail,  ^nd 
dashed  for  the  point  where  he  was  first  found.  We  had  no 
idea  that  he  would  stop  this  time,  and  our  horses  were  so 
tired  that  we  leisurely  retraced  our  way,  content  with  the 
prospect  for  supper.  How  long  we  had  struggled  over  rocks 
and  through  sage-brush  I  can  not  tell.  Suddenly,  Si  almost 
fell  from  his  horse,  and  lay  fiat  on  the  ground.  I  followed 
suit.  There,  just  ahead,  on  an  elevation,  we  could  see  a 
pair  of  branching  antlers,  showing  that  the  stag  was  wary. 
Si  rested  his  Winchester  on  a  rock,  and  I  was  to  crawl 
nearer  if  possible.  I  had  gone  perhaps  thirty  yards  through 
the  sage-brush,  when  I  heard  a  shot;  a  ball  whistled  over 
me,  and  I  raised  in  time  to  see  the  monarch  of  the  glen 
plunge  headlong  into  a  canon.  When  we  reached  the  si:)ot 
he  rose  on  his  fore  legs  and  shook  his  horns  defiantly,  but 
his  backbone  was  broken,  and  a  grace-shot  through  the  head 
made  him  our  game. 

Then  homeward  with  our  load,  in  the  early  gloaming. 
For  supper  we  had  the  juciest  and  most  tender  Antelope 
and  the  toughest  venison  I  have  ever  tasted,  and  after  a 
pipeful  of  ' '  Lone  Jack ' '  I  lay  down  to  dream  of  another 
Christmas  in  the  semi-tropical  forest  of  Orizaba. 

We  all  have  stored  aw^ay,  somewhere  in  the  archives  of 
memory,  records  of  these  red-letter  days.     They  may  have 


200 


BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 


been  si)ent  by  the  trout-streams  of  boyhood,  bj^  the  pools 
of  Mii-amiclii,  or  among  the  Elk  and  Antelope  of  the  Far 
West.  We  look  for  another  such  day  to-morrow.  And 
in  after  years,  when  our  eyes  grow  dim  and  oilr  steps  fal- 
ter, we  will  look  back  upon  these  red-letter  days,  and,  in 
imagination,  live  them  over  again,  enjoying  the  sport  with 
all  the  zest  we  felt  when  we  really  listened  to  the  mur- 
mur of  the  waters,  the  baying  of  hounds,  or  the  sharp 
report  of  the  ritle. 


A  DEER-HUNT. 


By  Wah-bah-mi-mi. 


HE  voice  of  brave  "Venus"  was  heard  on  the  gale, 
And  the  fierce  howl  of  Driver  came  close  at  her  heel: 
The  sharp  yell  of  Patch  told  the  story  of  game, 
As  down  the  "  swamp-runway  "  the  grand  chorus  came! 
The  fear-stricken  quarry,  in  proud  antlered  pride, 
Fled  onward,  with  snow-flakes  of  foam  on  his  side. 
On,  onward  he  sped — over  brake,  and  o'er  brier. 
Each  bound  to  his  doom  brought  him  nigher  and  nigher; 
And  louder  behind  him  swelled  full  on  the  breeze 
That  matchless  refrain  through  the  old  cedar-trees. 
'Twas  clear  as  the  notes  of-the  bugle,  which  thrill 
The  spirit  of  Echo  o'er  valley  and  hill. 
Tell  me  not  of  the  music  which  instruments  make, 
Though  harmony  trembles  in  every  wake ; 
Tell  me  not  of  the  sound  of  a  lute  in  the  grove. 
Though  that  lute  be  attuned  to  the  cadence  of  love; 
Tell  me  not  of  the  chorus  that  swells  o'er  the  bowl, 
When  wine  sparkles  brightly  and  mirth  thrills  each  soul- 
No  melody  rivals  the  magical  sound 
Of  the  deep-toned  and  heart-stirring  voice  of  the  Ifound, 
When  fierce  on  the  trail,  with  proud  fire  in  his  eye, 
He  follows  each  wind  of  the  scent  in  "  full  cry!" 
But  close  came  the  music  to  where  Ronald  stood, 
With  nostrils  expanded,  impatient  for  blood; 
His  old  double-barrel,  that  oft  had  been  tried, 
Was  ready;  his  eye  glanced  on  every  side. 
The  breaking  of  twigs  gives  him  warning,  when  high, 
With  a  bound  o'er  the  bushes,  the  buck  meets  his  eye: 
Full  sixty  yards  off  did  he  burst  on  his  view. 
When  up  went  his  gun — tried,  trusty,  and  true; 
Out  rang  a  report  on  the  cool  evening  air; 
We  looked  for  the  quarry — in  death  ho  lay  there! 
-The  bullet  had  pierced  him  direct  'twixttlie  eyes. 
'Twas  gallantly  done.     A  magnificent  prize 
Was  that  stately  old  Deer,  as  he  drew  his  la^t  breath, 
Full-length  on  the  runway.     Then  in  at  the  death. 
With  a  grand,  sweeping  chorus,  the  noble  dogs  came, 

(201) 


202  BIG  GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

And  rushed  with  a  bloodthirsty  roar  at  the  game! 

'Twas  worthy  the  sportsman,  and  worthy  the  gun, 

The  fall  of  that  noble  old  buck  on  the  run. 

The  sound  of  that  rifle,  still  true  to  its  aim, 

Brought  each  man  from  his  "stand "  for  a  view  of  the  game. 

The  pipes  were  drawn  forth,  and  then  over  the  slain 

The  run  and  the  shot  were  enacted  again. 

The  balmy  fall  evening  was  curtained  with  haze, 

The  tree-tops  were  tinged  with  the  sun's  sinking  rays, 

The  leaves  of  the  forest  were  silent  and  still. 

The  mighty  old  hemlock  that  stood  on  the  hill 

Moved  not  from  its  roots  to  its  branches  on  high. 

Which  towered  in  majestic  relief  'gainst  tlie  sky. 

'Twas  a  beautiful  scene,  but  the  shadows  of  night 

From  eve's  dark'niug  sky  were  commencing  their  flight. 

The  quarry  was  shouldered,  and  glad  was  the  tramp, 

As  we  carried  our  trophy  away  to  the  camp. 

Oh,  give  me  the  startling  sound  of  the  gun — 

The  rousing  refrain  of  the  hounds  at  full  run ! 

Oh,  give  me  the  sight  of  the  Deer  on  the  bound 

Over  valley  and  hill,  as  he  spurns  the  ground! 

Oh,  give  me  the  blaze  of  the  camp-tire  at  night. 

When  day  and  its  glories  have  vanished  from  sight  I 

When  friends  and  companions  are  seated  around. 

With  the  sky  for  a  roof,  for  a  bed  but  the  ground — 

The  steam  of  the  tea-kettle  curling  aloft 

Through  the  ether  of  Paradise,  balmy  and  soft; 

The  potato-pot  boiling  and  snorting  with  ire; 

The  frying-pan  hissing  aloud  on  the  fire; 

And  an  appetite  keen  from  the  glorious  nm, 

Awaiting  the  moment  when  "Supper  is  done." 

Compared  with  such  charms,  a  palace  would  be, 

Though  gilded  and  gorgeous,  a  prison  to  me! 


THE  GRIZZLY  BEAR. 


By  W.  S.  Rainsford,  D.D. 

^1 UCH  works  on  natural  history  as  I  have  been  able  to 
^'*  consult,  give  most  inaccurate  and  misleading  ac- 
counts of  the  Grizzly  Bear;  and  having  caj)tured, 
^'  hunted,  and  yarned  with  a  great  variety  of  Western 
Nimrods  who  had  hunted,  or  professed  to  have  hunted, 
persistently,  this  monarch  of  all  American  game  animals,  I 
am  convinced  of  the  absolute  inaccuracy  of  such  lore  as 
they  usually  supply  to  the  public.  I  have  hope,  however, 
that  though  this  article  is  of  necessity  written  in  haste, 
it  may  prove  useful  to  some  who  are  anxious  for  themselves 
to  make  the  Grizzly's  acquaintance. 

I  believe  Lewis  and  Clarke,  in  their  history  of  their 
adventurous  Journey  across  this  continent,  in  1802-04,  were 
the  first  to  give  to  the  public  an  account  of  the  Grizzly  Bear, 
They  met  him  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Missouri  River, 
and  his  size,  ferocity,  and  tenacity  of  life  made  a  great 
impression  on  the  minds  of  the  explorers. 

There  can,  I  think,  be  no  doubt  that  the  Grizzly  is  one 
distinct  species  in  itself,  and  the  habit,  among  hunters  in 
the  West,  of  speaking  as  though  there  were  three  or  four 
different  species  of  gray  Bears,  is  a  mistaken  one.  Local 
authorities,  in  the  regions  where  the  Grizzly  is  found,  will 
tell  you  that  the  true  Grizzly  is  rare,  while  the  Silver-tip 
or  the  Roach-back  are  common.  But  while  the  Grizzly 
exhibits  great  variety  of  color,  there  is  nothing  in  the  struct- 
ure or  the  habits  of  these  different-colored  Bears  to  consti- 
tute a  separate  species. 

It  can  be  proved,  beyond  all  manner  of  reasonable  doubt, 
that  all  species  of  Bears  found  between  the  Big  Horn  and 
the  Coast  Range  Mountains,  east  and  west,  and  Alaska 

(203) 


204  BIO   GAME   OF   NOKTII    AMERICA. 

aud  Mexico  ou  the  north  and  south,  occasionally  breed 
together.  This,  of  course,  will  account  for  all  varieties  of 
color.  I  myself  have  shot  three  young  Bears  going  with 
one  sow,  one  almost  yellow,  one  almost  black,  and  another 
nearly  gray.  I  have  seen  ordinary  Black  Bears  ( Ursus 
Americanus)  with  year-old  Grizzly  cubs  shaped  differently 
from  the  mother,  unmistakably  owing  both  their  shape  and 
color  to  the  parentage  of  the  male  Grizzly.  As  to  shape, 
too,  there  is  the  greatest  difference  in  specimens.  Some 
Grizzlies  have  a  formidable  hump-like  lift  back  of  the  head, 
extending  to  well  over  the  shoulders.  This  gives  a  Bear 
what  they  call  in  the  West  a  very  hard  exj^ression,  and  an 
ugly  customer  he  looks  as  you  would  care  to  meet.  Again, 
in  some  this  hump  is  scarcely  noticeable,  and  the  back  is 
almost  as  straight  as  in  a  Black  Bear.  So  in  paws.  While 
all  Grizzlies  are  wider  in  the  heel  than  the  Black  Bear,  there 
is  a  noticeable  difference  in  the  tread.  Some  are  much 
broader  across  the  heel  than  others,  the  foot  squarer.  I 
once  killed  two  well-grown  two-year-old  Grizzlies  together, 
who  had  double  instead  of  single  tusks,  in  both  upper  and 
lower  jaws.  This,  I  fancy,  is  rare;  for  my  guide,  who  has 
killed  over  one  hundred  Grizzlies,  has  never  seen  but  one 
like  specimen. 

I  have  pretty  well  satisfied  myself,  then,  that  there  are 
only  two  distinct  species  of  Bears  at  present  to  be  found 
within  the  geographical  limits  I  have  indicated — tlte  Black 
and  the  Grizzly;  and  these,  perhaps,  being  driven  together 
by  the  i)ressure  of  civilization,  are  likely  to  undergo  con- 
siderable modifications,  if  they  survive  during  the  next 
twenty  five  years. 

The  range  of  the  Grizzly  has,  of  course,  as  in  the  case  of 
all  other  large  wild  animals,  been  of  late  years  greatly 
restricted.  When  I  made  my  first  hunting  expedition  to 
the  West,  in  1868,  it  was  not  uncommon  to  find  specimens 
on  the  plains,  at  a  distance  of  many  hundred  miles  east  of 
the  mountains.  In  1881,  when  I  made  my  second  trip,  the 
Big  Horn  Range,  and  the  lesser  ranges  running  out  as  s]nirs 
to  the  east  of  it,  were  full  of  Bears.     Xow,  so  far  as  I  can 


THE  GKIZZLY    BEAH.  205 

learn,  Bears  are  not  common  in  that  region.  So  in  the 
South  and  West.  In  the  unoccui)ied  regions  of  Southern 
California,  and  northward,  in  the  j)arallel  valleys  of  the 
coast  ranges,  twenty  years  ago,  the  Grizzly  was  frequently 
to  be  found.  In  that  region,  last  spring,  I  discovered  for 
myself  that  large  Bears  are  now  rare,  and  all  Bears 
uncommon. 

Wonderful  stories  have  been  told  of  the  huge  size  and 
great  ferocity  of  the  Alaskan  Grizzly;  but  skins  from  that 
region  do  not  seem  to  be  much  larger  than  those  procured 
from  other  places,  and  I  have  only  seen  one  unusually  large 
skull  of  a  bear  killed  there.  Of  Alaska,  however,  I  can  not 
speak  personidly,  as  I  have  never  hunted  there. 

It  has  often  been  claimed  by  frontiersmen  that  Bears 
change  their  range  during  the  fall  months,  and  move  down 
from  the  higher  and  less  accessible  regions,  in  search  of  fruit 
and  berries;  but  I  think  this  migration  is  a  good  deal  exag- 
gerated. Whether  it  is  that,  in  late  years,  in  a  great  many 
of  the  valleys  where  fruit  abounds,  cattle  have  been  driven 
in,  or  whether  it  is  that  the  approach  of  man  makes  the 
game  more  shy,  I  do  not  iinow;  but  larger  Bears  seem 
seldom  to  leave  their  lonely  haunts  among  the  mountain- 
tops,  or,  if  they  do,  make  but  short  journeys  downward,  from 
which  they  return  in  a  day.  Smaller  Grizzlies  and  Black 
Bears  do  seem  to  push  their  way  close  down  to  the  cattle- 
ranches,  in  their  search  for  fruit;  but  the  time  is  past  when 
a  hunting-party,  on  their  greenhorn  trip,  can  kill,  as  some 
friends  of  mine  did,  ten  years  ago,  more  than  a  dozen  Bears 
within  one  day's  march  of  the  cattle-ranch. 

In  food,  the  Grizzly  prefers  variety.  He  is  fond  of  meat 
when  he  can  get  it;  and  thus  he  is  generally  to  be  found  not 
far  away  from  a  large  band  of  Elk.  If  you  strike  a  good  Elk 
country — that  is,  one  in  which  the  Elk  have  been  for  some 
time — you  are  pretty  sure  to  get  good  chances  at  Bears.  But 
failing  meat,  he  makes  out  very  well  on  nuts,  acorns,  etc.; 
and  the  fattest  Grizzlies  I  ever  killed  were  those  that  had 
been  feeding  for  weeks  on  tlie  pine-nuts  that  the  industrious 
mountain  squirrels  stow  away  in  such  great  plenty  in  the 


200  IJIG    GAMK    OK    NOKTII    AMEKICA. 

little  colonies  on  the  iij^per  hill-sides.  Where  the  nut-pine 
is  plenty,  you  may  also  expect  to  find  Bears. 

If  I  attempt  to  speak  of  the  size  of  the  Grizzly,  I  presume 
I  shall  quickly  find  myself  on  difficult  ground.  Personally, 
I  believe  there  is  a  great  deal  of  exaggeration  as  to  his  size. 
There  are  one  or  two  authentic  instances  of  Bears  of  enor- 
mous size  and  weight  being  exhibited;  but  these  took  kindly 
to  civilization,  and  became  fat  as  prize-pigs.  In  the  wild 
state,  I  should  say  that  a  Bear  weighing  nine  hundred 
l)ounds  was  a  very  large  one  indeed.  The  largest  I  ever 
killed  measured  from  nose  to  heel,  as  the  skin  was  pegged 
out,  not  unduly  stretched,  nine  feet  three  inches,  and  I 
should  say  tliat  Bear  would  have  weighed  between  eight  and 
nine  hundred  pounds.  I  saw,  in  California,  the  skin  of 
a  Bear  that  had  become  quite  famous  for  his  size  and  cun- 
ning, in  that  region  of  the  Sierras  where  he  had  made  his 
home,  and  this  skin  measured  over  ten  feet.  The  Bear 
himself,  I  should  think,  must  have  weighed  a  thousand 
pounds.  One  other  skin  I  recollect  to  have  seen  measured 
nearly  eleven  feet,  though  this  skin  seemed  to  me  to  have 
been  a  good  deal  stretched;  that  was  the  largest  I  ever  saw. 
But  if  we  are  to  be  guided  to  our  conclusions  by  hunters' 
talk,  you  must  believe  that  thousand-pound  Bears  are  com- 
mon, and  every  man  who  pretends  to  be  a  hunter  claims  to 
have  seen  several  Bears  that  weighed  a  great  deal  more 
than  that.  I  can  only  claim  to  have  killed  eighteen;  but,  as 
I  said,  I  would  not  put  the  weight  of  my  largest  at  more 
than  eight  hundred  and  fifty  pounds;  nor  does  my  guide 
think  that,  of  the  much  larger  number  he  has  killed,  any 
weighed  over  nine  hundred. 

Some  good  authorities  have  held  that  the  Range  Bear  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  as  the  Grizzly  constantly  is  called,  is 
much  smaller  on  the  main  chain  and  its  si)urs  than  the  Bear 
found  ill  California.  I  think  this  is  at  least  doubtful. 
There  are  ceitaiuly  a  great  many  small  Bears  in  California, 
and  very  large  Bears  are  as  scarce  there  as  anywhere  else. 
I  do  not  doubt  that  occasionally  the  milder  climate  and 
the  more  plentiful  food  of  one  of  those  California  valleys 


THE  GRIZZLY   BEAR.  207 

i:>roduces  a  monster  indeed;  but  size,  in  such  cases,  would 
depend  on  circumstances  more  than  on  any  peculiarity  of 
breed.  In  the  same  way,  on  the  plains,  to  the  east  of  the 
mountains,  large  Bears  have  sometimes  been  found;  but,  at 
present,  I  think  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  loneliest  parts 
of  the  central  chain  are  the  best  places  to  find  Bears  of  a 
considerable  size. 

The  sportsman  often  notices  claw-marks  of  Bears  on  trees, 
as  he  is  riding  by,  as  high,  or  almost  as  high,  as  his  head, 
and,  thoughtlessly,  he  is  apt  to  guess  at  the  presence  of  an 
immense  animal  who  can  stretch  himself  to  such  a  point  on 
the  tree-trunk.  When  "Ephraim"  tirst  comes  out  in  the 
spring,  he  always,  as  hunters  say,  measures  his  winter 
growth  and  rubs  his  claws  down  a  bit  on  some  big,  rough 
pine's  side.  But  when  this  takes  place,  he  is  usually 
standing  on  from  three  to  five  feet  of  snow,  which,  by  the 
time  the  hunter  gets  there,  has  melted  away,  and  thus 
several  feet  have  got  to  be  taken  off  that  Bear's  height. 

If  what  I  have  liere  said  seems  heretical  to  some  of 
my  readers,  as  to  the  Grizzly's  size,  I  fear  what  I  have  to 
add,  as  to  his  ferocity,  will  also  meet  with  a  doubtful 
acceptance.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  constant  contact 
with  white  men,  armed  with  modern  weapons,  has  wrought 
a  change  in  the  nature  oiferce  naturcB.  In  India,  the  Tiger 
no  longer  charges  as  he  used  to  charge  in  Captain  Rice's 
thrilling  book.  Sometimes  he  charges  still,  but  more  often 
turns  tail.  The  instinctive  dread,  born,  no  doubt,  of  bitter 
experiences,  has  descended  from  parent  to  child,  and  he  is 
no  longer  the  fearless  savage  that  earlier  accounts  declare 
him  to  have  been.  So  with  the  Grizzly;  the  first  white  men 
he  met  were  armed  with  smooth-bores  and  flint-locks — 
inadequate  weapons  with  which  to  deal  with  him.  For  fifty 
years,  there  was  no  great  change  in  the  weaponing  of  the 
hunter.  He  carried,  as  a  rule,  a  muzzle-loading  rifle  of  small 
caliber,  using  a  light  charge  of  powder;  and  as  fur  was 
plentiful  in  the  country,  and  the  Grizzly's  pelt  was  worth 
little  or  nothing,  and  was  difficult  to  pack,  Ephraim  was 
left  severely  alone.     The  miners,  too,  and  early  explorers 


208  BIG   (iAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

of  liis  haunts  were  not  after  Bears,  but  gold,  and  did  not 
trouble  him  much.  During  tliese  times,  he  was,  no  doubt, 
a  surly  customer,  and  did  not  trouble  himself  to  get  out  of 
tlie  way.  But  since  the  war,  things  have  changed.  Men 
swarmed  West,  armed  with  repeaters.  The  power  of  the 
rifle  "was  steadily  on  the  increase,  and  the  pressure  of  civili- 
zation felt  more  and  more  in  the  wildest  parts  of  the  land. 
The  result  of  these  years  of  attack  is  most  evident  in  the 
habits  of  the  Grizzly  Bear  as  he  is  to-day.  I  do  not  for  a 
moment  mean  to  say  that  he  is  not  a  formidable  adversary; 
but  I  do  sa}',  without  hesitation,  that  the  danger  of  his 
attack,  in  the  present  day,  has  been  grossly  exaggerated. 

I  remember  meeting  some  hunters  in  1868  who  had  killed 
a  large  Grizzly.  They  had  got  him  in  a  gully  between 
them,  a  man  on  each  side  and  the  Bear  down  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  they  had  put  thirteen  Henry  bullets  into  him. 
Both  of  them  had  l)een  nearly  clawed  before  he  gave  up  the 
ghost;  and  this  experience  of  theirs,  at  that  time,  I  am 
disposed  to  think  was  not  an  uncommon  one.  But  there 
was  just  an  illustration  of  the  inadequacy  of  armament 
with  which  to  attack  such  game.  All  who  have  handled 
the  old  Henry  Model  will  remember  just  what  the  gun  could 
and  could  not  do.  It  was  an  excellent  weapon,  when  cut 
off  short,  for  Buffalo-running,  and  a  good  Indian  gun, 
and  as  such  was  greatly  prized  during  those  dangerous 
times  on  the  plains.  But  the  charge  of  powder  was  light, 
as  was  the  lead,  and  in  front  of  a  big  Bear  it  was,  of  neces- 
sity, a  most  unreliable  weapon.  Granted  the  sportsman  is  a 
fair  shot,  and  a  man  of  ordinary  nerve,  with  a  good  weapon, 
and  you  matei'ially  alter  the  conditions  in  his  favor.  iV 
flfty-caliber  bullet,  \\itli  a  hundred  giaiiis  of  powder 
behind  it,  will  st()[)  almost  anything;  and  a  line-shot,  that 
is,  a  shot  in  line  of  the  spine,  taking  effect  anywhere  below 
the  nose  or  above  the  hips,  will  drop  a  Bear  in  his  tracks. 

I  account  for  a  large  uuml)er  of  the  stories  told  of  charg- 
ing Bears  in  this  way:  The  game  is  generallj'  sighted  on  the 
side  of  a  hill.  He  is  making  his  way  up  some  ravine,  and 
the  hunter  stalks  him  from  below.  When  flred  at,  whether  he 


THE   GRIZZLY    BEAR.  209 

is  wounded  or  not,  he  will  almost  invariably  turn  downhill 
and  try  to  get  away,  and  in  doing  so,  often  nearly  tumbles 
over  his  antagonist,  who  fancies  the  Bear  is  charging  at 
him,  when  his  sole  intention  is  to  get  away  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. If  wounded,  he  has  a  peculiarly  exasperating  way 
of  rolling  over  and  over,  like  a  ball,  at'  great  pace,  roaring 
all  the  time.  It  is  not  easy  to  make  a  dead-shot  at  this 
sort  of  a  bounding  foot-ball,  so  a  greenhorn  is  apt  to  wait, 
thinking  that  his  Bear  is  mortally  wounded,  whereas,  in 
fact,  he  may  be  only  slightly  scratched,  and  he  will  con- 
tinue his  rotary  movement  till  he  strikes  a  bit  of  more  level 
ground,  and  then  rapidly  disappear.  I  might  say  here, 
in  passing,  that  it  is  always  better,  and  certainly  safer,  to 
stalk  the  Grizzly  from  above. 

The  only  Bear  that  deliberately  charged  me,  charged  in 
the  wa}'  I  have  described.  I  was  planted  in  the  middle  of 
the  gully  as  he  was  coming  down,  and  seeing  me  in  the  way, 
and  cutting  off  his  retreat,  he  charged  for  all  he  was  worth. 

Still,  making,  as  I  do,  an  allowance  for  the  hereditary 
growth  of  timidity  in  the  Bear,  his  great  strength  and 
tenacity  of  life  will  always  render  him  an  opponent  to  be 
attacked  carefully.  You  do  not  realize  what  that  strength 
is  till  you  see  his  magnificent  muscular  development  when 
stripi)ed  of  his  skin.  Remove  his  skin,  and  he  is  start- 
lingly,  horridly,  like  a  dead  man.  His  strength  is  enor- 
mous. A  splendid  short-horned  bull,  that  had  been  imported, 
at  great  cost,  by  a  cattle-raiser  on  Rock  Creek,  Montana, 
a  few  years  ago,  was  found  with  its  neck  broken  but  a  week 
after  its  arrival,  and  the  tracks  of  a  large  Bear  showed  who 
had  done  the  mischief. 

My  hunter,  in  1868,  saw  a  Grizzly  attacking  a  band  of 
three  Buffalo  bulls,  and  assured  me  that,  as  one  of  the  bulls 
charged  him,  he  saw  that  Bear  break  his  mighty  neck  with 
one  bloAv.  I  believe  that  story  is  true.  And  only  four 
years  ago,  a  large  bull  Elk,  killed  by  our  party,  was  carried 
away  bodily,  horns  and  all,  the  night  after  he  was  killed, 
by  one  monstrous  Grizzly — carried  over  ground  so  rough 
and  through  timber  so  dense  that  we  lost  all  track  of  the 

14 


210  mo    (iAMK   OK    NORTH    AMEPJCA. 

carcass  and  the  thief.  The  Elk  must  have  weighed  well 
on  to  a  thousand  pounds,  and  such  a  feat  of  strength  seems 
almost  impossible. 

As  you  lean  over  the  carcass  of  a  large  Grizzly,  you  realize 
the  utter  nonsense  of  attacking  such  an  animal  with  a 
knife.  Even  as  he  li(\s  dead,  you  may  pick  out  your  own 
place  in  his  huge  muscular  chest— he  on  the  ground,  you 
above  him— it  will  take  the  l)]ow  of  a  strong  man  to  drive 
your  knife  up  to  the  haft  in  the  skin  and  muscle;  and  when 
you  have  done  so,  the  chances  are  ten  to  one  you  don't  go 
near  striking  a  vital  i^lace.  The  muscles  of  the  arms  and 
chest  are  simply  tremendous.  I  have  seen  a  Bear,  when 
wounded,  knock  quite  a  large  piece  out  of  the  side  of  a 
pine-ti'ee  with  a  blow  of  his  paw. 

As  to  knives,  few  men  go  properly  provided.  Though 
exx)erience  ought  to  have  taught  them  otherwise,  I  find  that 
professional  hunters  are  often  just  as  I^adly  provided  as 
the  tenderfeet  they  conduct.  It  is  difficult  to  get  a  really 
good  piece  of  steel.  After  trying  a  great  variety  of 
makes  in  England  and  the  United  States,  I  got  a  num- 
ber of  knives  from  Mr.  Price,  of  San  Francisco.  I  have 
used  these  knives  now  on  four  different  trips,  and  they 
have  given  me  satisfaction;  but,  though  I  gave  careful 
orders  as  to  their  making.  Mi'.  Price  made  the  same  mis- 
take that  nearly  all  cutlers  do,  and  forged  them  far  too 
thick.  The  blades  are  just  six  inches  long,  one  curved  and 
one  almost  straight,  with  solid  handles,  and  leather  thongs 
attached,  to  tie  them  to  the  belt.  Knives  sold  as  hunting- 
knives  in  our  large  cities  are  worse  than  useless.  The  best 
■way  that  I  know  of  to  provide  one's  self  with  a  knife  is 
to  buy  a  dozen  or  so  of  the  ordinary  skinning-knives, 
to  be  procured  in  any  Western  mining-camp  or  cattle- 
town.  They  cost  about  iifty  or  seventy-live  cents  apiece, 
and  in  the  dozen  you  may  perhaps  lind  two  good  l^lades. 
A  good  stone  for  whetting  them  should  also  be  carried,  for 
if  you  have  any  real  work  to  do,  it  is  necessary,  again  and 
again,  to  sharpen  the  blades  while  skinning. 


tup:  grizzly  bear.  211 

I  would  earnestly  advise  the  beginner  not  to  go  after 
Bears  alone.  Even  if  a  man  is  sure  of  liis  nerve,  a  cartridge 
will  sometimes  stick  or  miss  fire.  Circumstances  liave  made 
it  necessary  for  me  to  hunt  a  good  deal  by  myself,  and  most 
of  my  Bears  I  happen  to  have  killed  when  alone;  biit  I  would 
always  prefer  to  take  another  man  with  me.  A  friend  of 
mine,  an  artist,  tells  me  that  only  two  years  ago  he  came 
near  being  killed  by  a  sow,  whose  cubs  he  shot,  while  some 
distance  from  camp.  He  was  painting  when  the  Bears  hove 
in  sight.  He  shot  at  a  cub,  and  thought  he  killed  it;  then  shot 
the  other  cub  and  knocked  it  down;  and  then  he  shot  the 
mother.  When  the  first  cub  tried  to  crawl  away,  he  shot  it 
again;  ditto  the  second  cub.  Then  the  mother  woke  up,  and 
seeing  him  attacking  her  children,  she  went  for  him.  He  had 
only  two  cartridges  left  in  his  repeater;  he  hit  her  with  both, 
but  did  not  succeed  in  killing  her;  and  if  it  had  not  been 
for  his  dog,  who  attacked  her  behind  while  he  bolted,  she 
would  have  torn  him  to  pieces;  and,  as  it  was,  he  did  not 
get  any  one  of  the  three  Bears.  He  was  no  tenderfoot  either, 
but  a  tliorougli  hunter,  and  a  man  who  has  killed  a  good 
deal  of  game  in  the  West. 

Personall}^,  I  have  no  feeling  against  trapping  Bears.  The 
Grizzly  is  fast  becoming  extinct;  he  must  inevitably  suc- 
cumb to  the  ranchman's  poison  and  the  hunter's  trap.  I 
would  sooner,  of  course,  stalk  and  kill  one  Bear  in  the 
' '  open ' '  than  kill  twenty  in  the  trap,  and  it  is  many  years 
since  I  have  shot  a  trapped  Bear.  But  in  view  of  the  way 
in  which  all  furred  game  is  taken — in  view,  also,  of  the  fact 
that  all  the  Territories  ofl'er  rewards  for  Bear-scalps — it  is 
simply  nonsense  to  talk  about  trapping  Bears  as  being  either 
unsi)ortsmanlike  or  cruel.  In  the  long  run,  I  think  it  will 
be  found  that  forty -i^ound  traps  are  the  best.  Smaller  traps 
usually  scare  the  game,  and  seldom  hold  a  big  animal. 
They  are  rather  dangerous  things  to  set,  and  a  j)air  of 
strong  iron  clamps  should  be  used  to  screw  on  and  hold 
down  the  springs,  on  their  being  handled.  It  takes  a  little 
longer,  but,  unless  you  have  had  considerable  experience  in 
setting  traps,    it  is  worth  while  to  take  trouble  to  avoid 


212  lUC}   GAME   OF    NORTH    AMERICA, 

the  diuiger  of  losing  a  linger,  or  jjerhaps  having  a  wrist 
crushed. 

As  to  the  best  \veai)on  for  a  trip:  Good  weapons  in  great 
variety  are  now  to  be  had,  and  had  cheaply.  Tlie  improved 
Wincliester,  60-110,  is  an  excellent  "saddle  gun."  Person- 
ally, I  ])refer  the  Bullard;  the  action  is  so  silent,  and  the 
shooting  of  such  weapons  as  I  have  used  can  not  be  sur- 
passed. But  1  am  ready  to  admit  that  the  Winchester, 
though  not  so  silent  in  its  action,  is  a  stronger  rifle,  and 
more  convenient  on  horseback.  It  is  somewhat  lighter, 
too;  and  since  all  who  are  determined  to  follow  their  game 
up  and  kill  it  in  sportsmanlike  manner  must  be  prepared 
to  leave  their  ponies  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  -not  on 
the  side — every  extra  ounce  to  be  carried  is  a  burden. 

Almost  as  important  as  the  rifle  is  the  field-glass.  Don't 
spare  money  to  get  the  best  that  is  to  be  got;  and  if  you 
are  a  party  of  two  or  three,  let  one  carry  a  powerful  stalk- 
ing-gUiss.  Especially  if  going  after  Sheep  or  game  that 
is  sighted  at  a  distance,  it  is  all-im2)ortant  to  be  able 
to  make  out  the  size  of  a  head  before  you  face  the  arduous 
climb  of  several  thousand  feet.  It  is  disappointing  work  to 
mistake  a  poor  liead  for  a  good  one,  when  you  are  at  the 
foot  of  a  mountain  and  your  game  Is  near  the  top,  and, 
after  long  hours  of  toiling,  you  get  within  shot,  and  find 
your  coveted  troi)hy  is  not  worth  the  taking. 

Be  careful,  too,  as  to  your  "shoeing."'  The  higher  ranges 
of  our  mountains,  though  not  clothed  with  ice  and  snow  to 
the  same  extent  as  are  the  Alps,  present  some  features  of 
peculiar  danger.  The  conglomerate  formation,  wliich  is 
almost  everywhere  found  in  them,  nudves  walking  often 
perilous.  However  near  game  may  be,  never  hurry;  do  not 
go  up  a  place  where  you  are  sure  you  can  not  get  down.  I 
believe  the  danger  from  falls  is  far  greater  than  any  other 
danger  tin;  hunter  has  to  meet;  and  1  know  from  experience 
this  danger  to  be  considerable. 

As  to  outfit,  two  things  are  all-important^ — good  ])onies, 
plenty  of  them,  and  good  packers.  Good  guides  are  hard 
to  gvt;  good  i)ackers  are  just  as  hard.     For  a  trip  into  the 


THE   GRIZZLY   BEAR.  213 

mountains,  a  hundred  pounds  is  load  enough  for  a  pony. 
Don't  burden  yourself  with  great  variety  of  provisions — 
bacon,  coffee,  flour,  dried  apples,  and  oatmeal,  with  a  few 
potatoes  and  onions,  carried  from  the  nearest  settlement,  are 
all  you  ought  to  want.  A  couple  of  Dutch-ovens  will  supply 
you  with  the  best  possible  bread;  and  a  large  lean-to  made 
of  canvas  is  less  cumbersome  and  as  weather-proof  as  a  tent. 
As  to  hunters,  Frank  Chatfield,  Charles  Huft',  and  Sam 
Aldrich  are  men  that  I  have  proved  good  and  true.  Their 
address  is  Dillworth,  Gallatin  County,  Montana. 

My  first  hunting  expedition  included  a  trip  from  St.  Paul 
(then  almost  the  western  terminus  of  the  railroad)  to  Van- 
couver Island,  and  during  that  long  journey  I  never  saw  a 
Grizzly.  One  day,  coming  on  the  fresh  trail  of  an  immense 
fellow,  the  Indians  promptly  refused  to  take  any  part 
whatever  in  investigating  the  neighborhood;  and  as  I  was 
a  most  untrustworthy  shot,  and  had  only  a  double-barreled 
muzzle-loading  rifle,  all  things  considered,  perhaps  this 
action  of  theirs  was  an  evidence  of  their  proverbial  sagacity. 

My  next  essay  was  undertaken  thirteen  years  after,  in 
1881.  We  had — my  friend  and  I — a  magnificent  trip;  rode 
all  over  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  and  killed  plenty  of  game 
— indeed,  we  could  not  help  it.  In  those  days  the  mountains 
were  full  of  Deer,  Elk,  and  Bears,  too;  but  somehow  none  of 
us  ever  saw  a  Grizzly.  I  can  not  to  this  day  understand 
our  want  of  success.  Six  trips  I  have  made  since  then,  but 
I  never  saw  half  the  amount  of  fresh  Bear-signs  which  we 
saw  on  the  western  slope  of  those  mountains,  on  a  stream 
named  on  the  maps  Shell  Creek.  Had  I  known  as  much  as 
I  know  now,  I  could  have  made  a  much  larger  bag  than  the 
one  I  made  on  my  last  trip,  when  I  had  extraordinary  luck, 
and  killed  eight  Grizzlies  in  three  weeks,  our  party  account- 
ing altogether  for  twelve  Bears,  two  only  of  the  twelve  being 
trapped.  I  think  this  is  the  largest  authentic  score  I  have 
heard  of  as  being  made,  in  late  years,  in  so  short  a  time. 

The  first  real  Grizzly  we  did  see  (we  once  shot  a  mule  in 
mistake  for  one)  was  in  a  trap.    In  the  eastern  woods,  Bears 


214  BIO   GAME   OP'   NOKTH    AMKKICA. 

are  commonly  trapped  by  baiting  a  pen,  built  of  logs,  with 
fish  or  offal,  and  setting  before  it  a  spring-trajD  of  from 
fifteen  to  twenty-five  pounds.  I  need  not  now  speak  of  traps 
built  of  logs  only,  where  a  dead-fall  is  used;  none  of  these 
are  sufficiently  strong  to  hold  or  to  kill  a  moderate-sized 
Grizzly.  To  these  steel  traps,  as  they  are  set  in  the  East,  a 
strong  chain  is  attached,  and  this  ends  in  a  ring;  through 
the  ring  a  strong  stake  is  driven,  and  sometimes  this  is 
fastened  into  the  ground.  By  this  means  the  captive  is 
held  until  his  hour  arrives.  Out  West  the  same  traj)  is 
used;  but  instead  of  pinning  it  to  the  ground,  a  long  chain  is 
attached,  and  the  end  of  this  chain  is  made  fast  around  a 
log  with  a  "cold-shut"  or  split-ring,  such  as  you  put  your 
pocket-keys  on,  and  which  can  be  fastened  by  hammering. 
As  soon  as  the  Bear  springs  the  trap,  with  either  fore  or 
hind  foot,  and  so  is  fast,  he  begins  to  make  things  lively  all 
around,  slashing  at  the  trees,  biting  at  the  trap,  and  drag- 
ging the  log.  This,  of  course,  is  an  awkward  customer  to 
pull  along,  especially  if  it  is  made  of  joart  of  a  young,  tough 
pine-tree,  with  the  branches  left  on.  It  leaves  a  trail  that 
is  easily  followed.  Sometimes  the  Bear  will  take  in  the 
situation  very  soon,  and  set  himself  to  demolish,  not  the 
trap,  but  the  thing  that  makes  the  trap  unendurable.  I 
have  myself  seen  a  pine-tree,  some  fourteen  feet  long  and 
eight  or  nine  inches  in  diameter,  perfectly  tough  and  green, 
so  chewed  up  that  there  was  not  apiece  of  it  left  whole  that 
w^ould  weigh  five  jiounds.  In  this  case  we  were  able  to  trail 
the  Bear  by  the  trap-chain,  and  kill  him  farther  on. 

The  best  way  to  fix  a  trap  is  the  simplest.  Scoop  a  hol- 
low by  the  carcass  of  a  dead  Elk,  and,  drawing  up  a  pine, 
fix  the  end  of  it  firmly  to  the  trap.  The  branches  of  the 
tree  half  cover  the  dead  game,  and  can  be  easily  so  arranged 
that  naturally  the  Bear  will,  for  his  convenience,  approach 
on  the  side  where  the  trap  is  set.  Some  old  Grizzlies,  how- 
ever, are  extraordinarily  cunning,  and  though  they  can  not 
have  had  any  extensive  exj)erience  with  Bear-traps — for 
none  have  been  taken  into  the  West  till  within  the  last  eight 
years  or  so — yel  seem  to  divine  just  where  those  dangerous 


TIIK   GKIZZLY    I5EAH,  215 

hidden  jaws  lie  beneath  the  innocent  brown  pine-needles 
and  bunch-grass.  They  wiU  spring  it  again  and  again,  and 
then,  feast  to  their  heart's  content.  One  great  fellow  did 
this  three  times  Jit  the  same  carcass,  and,  as  we  could  not 
induce  him  to  com5  during  daylight,  we  had  reluctantly  to 
give  him  up.  After  carefully  examining  the  Jaws  of  tlie 
trap,  which  each  time  hekl  a  few  gray,  coarse  hairs  and 
such  small  traces  of  skin  as  you  see  on  a  horse' scurry -comb, 
Ave  came  to  the  conclusion^and  I  think  the  correct  one — 
that  the  old  fellow  deliberately  sat  down  on  the  whole 
concern. 

My  tirst  Grizzly  was  trapped  on  the  head-waters  of  the 
east  fork  of  the  Yellowstone,  within  some  few  miles  of  a 
mountain  called  the  Hoodoo.  That  country  is  now  too 
well  known  and  too  much  hunted  to  afford  good  sport;  a 
blazed  trail  leads  up  to  it  from  the  Park.  Travelers  who 
want  to  see  an  Elk  are  almost  invariably  advised  to  go  up 
there.  It  is  a  sort  of  jumping-off  place.  None  of  the  Park 
guides  (I  think  I  am  correct  in  saying)  know^  how  to  get  out 
<?)f  it  unless  by  returning  as  they  came — at  least  they  did 
not  two  or  three  years  ago.  In  1883  there  \A'as  considerably 
more  game  in  that  region  than  can  be  found  there  now.  Our 
party,  the  morning  after  getting  into  camp,  separated;  I  went 
for  Sheep  on  the  high  ground,  for  there  was  plenty  of  sign, 
and  my  friend,  taking  an  Adirondack  guide  we  had  with  us, 
hunted  the  lower  woody  slopes.  Toward  eAening  I  got  back 
to  camp,  pretty  well  tired,  having  killed  a  ewe,  for  we 
wanted  meat;  and  presently  the  rest  of  the  j)arty  came  in, 
almost  too  breathless  to  speak.  They  had  seen  a  drove  of 
Bears,  so  they  said — five  of  them — "and,''  added  the  Adi- 
rondack guide,  "two  were  big  as  Buffaloes."'  He  had  never 
seen  a  Buffalo,  and  drew  on  his  imagination  for  their  size. 
This  was  exciting  with  a  vengeance.  They  reported  any 
amount  of  Bear-sign  on  the  slopes  leading  to  the  river.  It 
was  just  before  dark  that  they  had  seen  the  aforesaid  family, 
which,  unfortunateh',  at  once  winded  tliem,  and  so  quickly 
tumbled  down  the  ravine,  as  only  Bears  can  tumble,  and 
were  lost  in  the  canon.     We  were  poorly  off  for  bait,  but 


216  BIG   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

killed  some  Porcupine  and  half -roasted  them  (under  these 
circumstances,  I  would  have  my  readers  remember  tliat 
Porcupine  emit  a  powerful  odor);  and  to  these  delectable 
morsels  we  added  x^^^s  of  the  Sheep.  Still,  it  was  a 
poor  bait.  Bears  will  not,  as  a  usual  thing,  come  to  a  small 
carcass. 

We  waited  and  waited,  day  after  day;  all  the  Sheep 
cleared  out  of  the  neighborhood,  and  we,  not  having  at  that 
time  one  good  hunter  in  the  party,  could  not  trail  up  any 
of  the  small,  scattered  bands  of  Elk  that  kept,  as  they  gen- 
erally keep  during  the  end  of  August,  to  the  thick  timber. 
Our  grub  gave  out;  our  last  morning  came;  and,  save  for 
that  one  brief  moment,  none  of  the  party  had  ever  seen  a 
Grizzly.  All  our  impediments  were  stowed  away,  and 
nothing  remained  to  pack  but  the  forty-two-pound  traps. 
Wliile  the  final  tightening  of  the  mules'  cqoarejos  was  being 
done  (we  had  a  Government  outfit  on  that  trip),  our  guide 
rode  off  to  see  if  the  luck  had  turned.  He  was  to  fire  one 
shot  if  the  trap  had  been  carried  away.  Fancy  our  feelings 
when,  thirty  minutes  later,  a  single  shot  rang  out  on  the 
early  morning  air.  We  made  time  to  the  ridge  wdiere  the 
boys  had  seen  the  Bears,  and  wdiere  the  traps  had  been  set 
fruitlessly  for  a  week;  and  there,  sure  enough,  he  was — a 
fine  fellow,  too.  He  could  not  have  been  fast  more  than 
half  an  hour,  for  he  had  not  gone  far,  but  was  ''  making 
tracks,"  dragging  a  great  log  after  him,  wdien  the  hunter 
saw  him;  and  in  an  hour  or  two,  at  that  pace,  would  have 
been  well  on  his  w^ay  down  the  cafion.  Soon  as  mankind 
came  in  sight,  he  took  in  the  situation,  and  began  to  roar 
and  growl.  A  Grizzly's  roar  can  be  heard  a  long  way  in 
still  weather.  I  must,  in  all  truthfulness,  say  that  that 
Bear  seemed  to  be  thinking  chiefiy  of  his  family.  He  made 
no  charge;  he  wanted  very  badly  to  go  home;  and  I  ended 
his  career  with  an  Express  bullet. 

Not  much  sport  in  that,  so  it  seems  to  uie  now.  And  yet, 
after  longing  and  longing  even  to  see  a  big  Bear,  and  never 
seeing  him;  after  finding,  sometimes,  the  ground  near  our 
camp  all  torn  up  over  night,  as  we  used  to  in  1868;  after 


THE  GRIZZLY   BEAR.  217 

having  had  three  Bears  cross  the  river  I  was  fishing  in,  on 
Sunday  morning  (O,  charitable  reader,  a  quiet  little  stroll 
by  a  silvery,  purling,  singing  mountain-stream,  such  as  was 
Shell  Creek,  could  not  offend  even  the  shade  of  Izaak 
Walton,  though  it  were  taken  on  Sunday  I) — yes,  I  went 
down  that  stream  not  more  than  three  miles,  and  in  the  two 
or  three  hours  I  spent  in  filling  my  pockets  with  the  trout, 
no  less  than  three  Bears— good-sized  Bears,  too,  by  their 
tracks —crossed  the  stream  behind  me,  and  between  me  and 
camp.  After  such  a  long  time  of  probation,  it  was  more 
than  exciting  to  see  here,  at  last,  the  real  thing — an  un- 
mistakable Grizzly.  There  actually  was  such  a  thing  as 
a  Grizzly  in  the  fiesh,  though  we  had  begun  to  doubt  it; 
not  so  big  as  a  Buffalo,  truly,  now  I  came  to  see  him  in 
daylight,  but  weighing,  I  should  say,  fully  six  hundred 
pounds. 

The  largest  Bear  any  of  us  ever  saw  was  a  Cinnamon  that 
came  within  an  inch  of  killing  one  of  my  men — a  good 
hunter  and  first-class  guide — Charles  Huff.  I  may  refer  to 
the  big  Cinnamon,  too,  as  an  instance  of  the  danger  that 
sometimes  attends  trapjDing  the  Bear.  He  had  set  his  traps 
near  Sunlight,  Gallatin  County,  Montana,  in  the  spring, 
and  was  unable  to  visit  them  for  a  week.  When  he  got  to 
the  bait,  trap  and  log  were  gone.  After  taking  up  the  trail, 
he  soon  found  the  remnants  of  his  log  chewed  to  match- 
wood; the  Bear,  evidently  a  large  one,  had  gone  off  with 
the  trap.  He  followed  his  trail  as  long  as  he  had  light,  but 
found  nothing,  and  had  to  return  to  camp.  Next  day,  very 
foolishly,  he  took  the  trail  again  alone,  beginning  where  he 
had  left  off.  After  a  long  march,  he  came  to  the  steep  side 
of  a  hill;  the  Bear  had  evidently  gone  up  there — on  the  soft, 
snow-sodden  ground  the  trail  was  plain.  Just  as  the  man 
was  beginning  to  ascend,  there  was  a  rush  and  a  roar,  and 
the  Bear  was  on  him.  He  had  no  time  to  put  his  repeater  to 
his  shoulder,  but  letting  it  fall  between  his  hands,  pulled 
the  trigger.  The  Bear  was  within  a  few  feet  of  him,  and  by 
a  great  chance  the  unaimed  bullet  took  him  between  the 
eyes.     He  had  evidently  tried  the  hill-side,  and,  worried  by 


218  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMKltlCA. 

the  heavy  trap,  had  come  back  on  his  trail  and  lain  behind 
a  great  heap  of  dirt,  into  which  he  had  partly  burrowed, 
waiting  for  liis  enemy.  Among  the  debris  of  spring-tide — 
fallen  stones  and  uprooted  trees — a  Bear  could  easily  lie  hid- 
den, if  he  were  mad  and  wanted  to  conceal  himself,  till  the 
enemy  was  within  a  few  feet.    It  was  a  terribly  close  shave. 

All  animals  are  at  times  strangely  hard  to  kill;  this,  I 
fancy,  is  especially  true  of  the  Grizzly.  Again  and  again 
he  will  drop  to  a  well-planted  shot,  as  will  any  animal; 
nothing  that  runs  can  stand  nj)  long  after  it  has  received  a 
quartering  shot—/,  d.,  when  the  bullet  is  planted  rather  well 
back  in  the  ribs,  about  half-way  up,  and  ranges  forward  to 
the  oi)posite  shoulder.  Such  a  shot,  especially  if  the  bullet 
be  a  lifty -caliber,  will  drop  anything;  but  the  point  of  the 
heart  may  be  pierced,  or  even  the  lungs  cut,  and  Bears  will 
often  fight. 

We  stalked  two  small  Grizzlies  in  the  "  open  "  one  even- 
ing. They  were  busy  turning  over  stones,  in  order  to  get 
the  grubs  and  worms  underneath,  and  when  we  managed 
to  get,  unseen,  within  forty  yards,  at  first  fire  each  received 
a  bullet  broadside  behind  the  shoulder;  but,  seemingly  none 
the  worse,  they  both  turned  dowm-hill,  as  Bears  will  when 
wounded,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  and  made  for  the  ravine, 
whence  they  had  evidently  come.  This  gave  me  a  nice 
open  shot  as  they  passed,  and  No.  1  rolled  over,  dead;  not 
so  Xo.  2.  Before  he  got  a  hundred  j'ards  away  I  hit  him 
three  times.  My  rifle  was  a  fifty-caliber  Bullard  repeater — 
the  one  I  have  used  for  years — one  hundred  grains  of  pow- 
der and  a  solid  ball.  At  the  fourth  shot  he  fell  in  a  heap, 
seemingly  dead.  To  save  trouble,  and  for  convenience  in 
skinning,  we  laid  hold  of  the  first  one,  and  dragged  him 
about  seventy  yards  down  the  steep  incline,  to  where  the 
second  lay.  We  got  within  a  few  feet  of  the  Bear,  when 
up  he  jumped,  and,  on  one  hind  leg  and  one  fore,  went  for 
Frank.  The  attack  was  tremendously  unexpected  and 
sudden.  At  a  glance  you  could  see  that  the  poor,  plucky 
brute  was  past  liurting  anyone,  for  one  arm  was  smashed, 
and  his  lower  jaw  was  shot  almost  completely  away;  yet  I 


THE  GRIZZLY    BEAR.  219 

tell  the  simj)le  truth  when  I  say  -that  for  a  few  strides  he 
actually  caught  up  to  Prank,  who  made  most  admirable 
time;  then  I  shot  tlie  Bear  dead.  We  examined  him  care- 
fully; he  w^as  a  small  one,  not  w^eighing  more  than  two 
hundred  pounds,  and  was  shot  all  to  pieces.  Each  of  the 
five  bullets  I  had  fired  had  struck  him;  one  hip  and  one 
fore-arm  were  broken;  the  lower  Jaw  was  shot  away;  there 
was  one  shot  in  the  neck,  and*  one  through  and  through 
behind  the  shoulder.  It  is  never  safe  to  fool  with  a  Grizzly; 
he  may  run  away  as  fast  as  an  Elk,  or  he  may  not. 

There  is  something  to  me  fascinating  beyond  measure  in 
hunting  the  Grizzly,  the  hardest  of  all  aninuils  to  approach, 
not  excepting  the  Sheep.  The  extreme  difficult}^  of  seeing 
him  or  finding  him  in  the  daylight,  and  the  lonely  haunts 
he  has  now  retired  to,  make  him  more  difficult  to  bring  to 
bag  than  even  the  Sheep.  None  seems  in  better  keeping 
with  his  surroundings  than  he.  It  must  be  a  poor,  shallow 
nature  that  can  not  enjoy  the  absolute  stillness  and  perfect 
beauty  of  such  evenings  as  the  hunter  must  sometimes  pass 
alone  when  watching  near  a  bait  for  Bears. 

One  such  experience  I  have  especially  in  mind.  What 
an  evening  it  was,  both  for  its  beauty  and  its  good  fortune! 
I  think  of  it  still  as  a  red-letter  day,  as 

One  from  many  singled  out, 

One  of  those  heavenly  days  that  can  not  die. 

More  than  two  thousand  feet  below,  the  head-waters  of 
the  Snake  gather  themselves,  and  in  its  infancy  the  great 
river  sends  up  its  baby-murmur.  Behind  me,  the  giant 
heads  of  the  Teton  cut  the  rosy  evening  sky,  sharp  and 
clear,  as  does  the  last  thousand  feet  of  the  Matterhorn.  I 
was  comfortably  ensconced  in  the  warm,  brown  pine-needles 
that  smothered  up  the  great  knees  of  a  gnarled  nut-pine, 
whose  roots  ofiiered  me  an  arm-chair,  and  around  me,  for 
the  space  of  two  or  three  acres,  the  short,  crisp  green- 
sward, that  is  only  found  where  snow  has  lain  for  months 
previously,  was  spangled  and  starred  all  over  with  such 
blue  and  white  and  red  mountain  flowers  as  are  nowhere 
else  seen  in  this  land. 


220  BIG   (iAME  OF   NOllTII   AMERICA. 

"  I  wish  I  hud  time  and  skill  to  write  of  those  sweet 
mountain  flowers.  There  is  nothing  quite  so  beautiful  in 
any  other  Alpine  land  I  know  of,  our  mountains  altogether 
outstripping  the  Swiss  or  Austrian  Alps  in  the  wealth, 
variety,  and  sweetness  of  their  flora.  I  don't  know  any- 
thing of  botany,  I  am  ashamed  to  say,  but  we  have 
counted  nearly  a  hundred  different  varieties  of  flowers  in 
bloom  during  one  afternoon' s  tramp.  Amid  the  lush-green 
of  the  rich  valleys,  great  masses  of  harebell  and  borage 
and  gentian  carpet  the  ground.  Here  and  there,  beautifully 
contrasting  with  their  fresh,  vivid  blue,  wide  j^lots  of  yel- 
low, purple-centered  sun-flowers  stoutly  hold  up  their 
heads,  while  on  the  border-land  of  these  flower-beds  of 
Kature,  where  the  grass  shortens  in  blade  and  deepens  to 
an  intense  shade  of  green,  the  delicate  mountain  lily,  with 
its  three  pure-white  petals,  fading  to  the  tenderest  green  at 
the  center,  reaches  its  graceful  height  of  some  nine  inches. 
All  this  one  has  abundant  leisure  to  observe,  as  he  sits  well 
to  windward  of  the  bait — in  this  case,  a  dead  Elk. 

On  this  occasion,  I  occupied  an  unusually  good  point  of 
vantage.  My  arm-chair  not  only  commanded  a  little  slop- 
ing prairie,  but  the  heads  of  two  deep  ravines  leading  to 
it,  and  the  crest  of  the  ridge  to  my  left,  some  three 
hundred  feet  above  me.  Hour  after  hour  passed  peacefully 
by.  I  tried  to  read  Tennyson  (I  had  a  pocket  volume  with 
me),  with  but  poor  success,  and  so  gave  myself  up  -to  the 
beauty  of  the  scene.  I  realized  without  efl'ort  what  a  bliss- 
ful thing  it  might  be — nay,  sometimes  is — simply  to  exist. 
Such  hours  do  not  come  to  any  of  us  often;  but  when  they 
do,  with  them  surely  may  come  an  overmastering  sense  of 
that  great  truth  Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning  so  tersely 
puts: 

Earth's  crammed  with  heaven, 

And  every  common  bush  afire  with  God; 

But  only  he  who  sees  takes  off  liis  shoes. 

Without  cant,  I  trust,  that  evening  I  took  off  mine,  as 
the  old  prayer  came  to  mind:  "We  thank  Thee  for  our 
creation,  preservation,  and  all  the  blessings  of  this  life." 


THE   GRIZZLY   BEAR.  221 

I  was  in  a  state  of  stable  equilibrium,  bodily  and  irien- 
tally  (if  it  ever  is  given  to  a  rector  of  a  New  York  church 
so  to  be),  when  a  mighty  rumpus  arose  from  the  edge  of  the 
dark  woods  where  our  horses  were  lariated,  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  below.  On  his  way  upward,  a  big  Grizzly 
had  been  joined  by  a  relative  or  acquaintance  (history  will 
never  say  which),  and,  as  ill  luck  would  have  it,  they  both 
came  suddenly  on  the  horses,  hidden  and  securely  tied  in  a 
little  hollow.  From  wdiere  1  sat  I  could  see  nothing;  but 
running  down  a  few  yards,  I  came  in  sight  of  two  sturdy 
fellows  surveying  our  plunging  nags,  as  for  one  moment 
they  evidently  held  a  hurried  consultation.  The  conclusion 
they  arrived  at  was  that  they  were  out  for  venison,  not  for 
horse-flesh,  especially  when  there  was  more  than  a  suspicion 
of  a  dangerous  smell  around;  in  brief,  they  struck  our  trail, 
and  scented  the  saddle,  and  so  in  an  instant  were  off.  Of 
course,  w^e  had  settled  on  a  spot  toward  which  the  wind 
blew  from  the  ravine  (Frank  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  j)rairie),  for  Bears  almost  always 
come  up  at  evening  from  the  deepest  hiding-places;  and 
these  Bears  ran  off,  quartering  up-wind,  giving  me  a  long 
running-shot,  as  they  made  great  time  among  the  tall,  rank 
grass  and  flowers. 

Sit  down  when  you  shoot,  if  it  is  possible.  There  is  no 
better  position  than  with  an  elbow  on  either  knee;  you  can 
shoot  fast  and  straight,  and  the  j)osition  is  high  enough  to 
carry  your  head  and  rifle  above  small  inequalities  of  the 
ground.  I  let  drive,  and  missed — shot  too  far  ahead,  I 
fancy.  Always  shoot  too  far  ahead,  rather  than  too  far 
behind.  Nine  times  out  of  ten,  a  bullet  plum^Ded  in  front 
of  running  game  will  halt  it  for  a  moment;  and  so  now  it 
turned  out.  The  leader  reared  up  for  an  instant,  and  the 
instant's  pause  was  fatal.  The  next  bullet  took  him  fair  in 
the  center  of  the  chest.  He  had  just  time  to  give  his  solicit- 
ous companion  a  v^ipe  with  his  paw,  that  would  have  come 
near  wiping  out  a  strong  man,  when  he  rolled  over. 

Bear  No.. 2  concluded  he  had  an  engagement  somewhere 
else,  and  was  settling  down  to  a  business-like  gait  when  he 


222  BIG    (iAMK   OF    NORTH    AM  Kill  ('A, 

too  came  to  grief.  Tlieie  they  lay,  not  lifty  yards  apart — 
two  in  one  evening.  Not  so  bad— though  in  honesty  it 
must  be  confessed  tliat  sucli  shots  were  more  than  ordi- 
narily lucky.  Skinning  a  tough  hide  is  a  trying  bit  of 
work;  but  how  willingly  was  it  undertaken!  \Vhat  time 
we  made  down  the  mountain,  tying  first  our  trophies  — 
heads  left  on— securely  on  the  cow-saddlesi  What  can  not 
a  good  bronco  do  when  he  wants  to  get  back  to  the  herd! 
For  a  couple  of  thousand  feet  we  led  the  horses,  and  then 
fjiirly  raced.  AVhat  fun  is  a  good  scamper  home  when  you 
have  a  stanch  pony  between  your  legs!  The  sure-footed- 
ness  and  hardiness  of  a  well-trained  i^ony  are  simply 
marvelous;  give  him  his  head,  and  if  there  is  a  ghost  of  a 
trail,  he  will  take  it.  Many  an  evening  did  we  race  home 
against  time,  determined  to  get  over  the  three  miles  of 
twisted  and  fallen  timber  before  the  last  glow  vanished. 
"Once  out  of  the  timber,  we  could  sober  down,  for  all  was 
plain-sailing.  Three  or  four  miles  more- -among  old  Beaver- 
meadows,  where  every  now  and  then  we  heard,  loud  almost 
as  a  pistol-shot,  the  Beaver  smite  the  water  with  his  broad 
tail,  as  he  went  down  into  his  own  quiet,  clear  pool — and 
the  welcome  blaze  of  the  camp-fire  promised  rest,  after 
refreshing  and  suihcient  toil,  as  well  as  good  companionship. 
At  pi'esent,  the  Grizzly  is  more  commonly  found  in  the 
Shoshone  Riinge.  in  Wyoming,  than  anywhere  else.  Much 
of  the  country  is  verj^  rough,  i)arts  of  it  almost  inaccessible; 
but  in  most  localities  nut-pine  is  plentiful  on  the  mountains, 
and  Elk  are  more  numerous  there  than  in  any  other  portion 
of  the  United  States.  Here,  then,  the  sportsman's  prospects 
of  successful  Bear-hunting  are  better  than  elsewhere.  But 
since  the  spring  of  1888,  Territorial  law  has  made  it  inii)os- 
sible  for  any  man,  wlio  does  not  care  to  be  a  law-breaker,  to 
hunt  in  this  splendid  mountain  region.  On  March  9,  1888. 
it;  was  enacted: 

Skctiox  1.     SfCtion  12.")1  of  the  Revised  Statutes  of  Wyoming  is  lurehy 
amended  and  rei'nacted  to  read  as  follows: 

"  Section  125t.    It  shall  V)e  unlawfid  to  inirsue,  hunt,  or  kill  any  Deer.  Elk, 
Moose,  ilouutain  Sheep,  .Mountain  Goat,  Antelope,  or  Buffalo,  save  from  Sep- 


tup:  grizzly  bear.  223 

tember  1st  to  January  1st  each  year.  And  it  shall  be  unlawful  to  capture,  by 
means  of  any  pit,  pitfall,  or  trap,  any  of  the  above-named  animals,  at  any  time 
of  the  year.  No  non-resident  of  this  Territory  s/mU  jmrsue,  hunt,  or  kill  any  of 
the  above-named  animals  by  any  ineans  whatever:  Providal,  however,  any  actual 
and  bona  fide  resident  may  at  any  time  pursue,  hunt,  or  kill  any  of  the  said 
animals  for  the  purpose  only  of  supplying  himself  and  family  with  food;  but  it 
shall  be  unlawful  to  sell  or  offer  the  carcass  of  any  such  animal,  or  any  part 
thereof,  for  sale,  except  as  is  provided  in  this  chapter." 

The  effect  of  such  a  statute,  I  need  not  say,  makes  hunt- 
ing in  Wyoming  impossible — at  least,  impossible  to  honor- 
able men.  The  trouble  is,  that  it  does  not  reach  the  root  of 
the  matter.  The  men  that  destroy  the  game  in  that  and 
other  Territories  are  not  the  small  parties  of  sportsmen  who 
spend  several  weeks  there  in  the  fall.  The  advent  of  these 
is  an  unmixed  benefit  to  the  frontier  community.  Any 
properly  equipped  hunting-party  must,  of  necessity,  spend, 
during  a  six- weeks'  trip,  from  $500  to  $2,000  in  the  Terri- 
tory, and  in  those  parts  where  cash  is  scarce.  Sportsmen* 
who  needlessly  slaughter  game  are  now  fortunately  rare. 
Cow  Elk  or  ewes  are  scarcely  ever  shot,  except  when  a 
party  is  hard-up  for  meat;  and  a  few  bull  Elk  and  an  odd 
ram  falling  to  the  sx^ortsman's  lot  do  not,  to  any  serious 
extent,  diminish  the  game  of  the  Territory.  No,  it  is  in  the 
late  fall,  when  the  snow  drives  the  game  in  large  herds 
down  from  the  mountains — drives  them  to  the  doors  of  the 
outlying  ranches — that  needless  and  irrevocable  slaughter 
is  wrought.  Then  the  game  is  poor,  often  scarcely  eatable, 
and  in  the  deej)  snow  whole  bands  of  Elk  and  Deer  are 
butchered,  without  chance  of  escape,  by  the  ranchmen.  All 
wiio  live  in  the  Territory  know  the  truth  of  what  I  say.  The 
passage  of  such  a  law  as  this,  then,  is  worse  than  useless, 
and  its  effect  will  be  to  stoi?  Bear-hunting  as  well,  though 
there  is  no  prohibition  in  the  law  against  their  slaughter. 

Occasionally,  the  Bear  is  seen  and  stalked  in  the  ''open:"' 
but  I  should  say  that  at  least  nine  out  of  ten  Bears  that  are 
killed  are  eitlier  trapped  or  shot  in  the  early  morning  or 
evening,  when  coming  to  a  carcass.  When  I  say  nine  out 
of  ten  Bears  killed,  of  course  I  have  no  reference  to  the 
wholesale  poisoning  that  has  totally  wiped  out,   in  large 


224  BUi   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

sections  of  the  country,  all  Bears  and  Wolves.  Cattle-men 
have  had  constant  recourse  to  poison,  and  hence,  once  cattle 
arrive  in  a  country,  even  in  small  numbers.  Bears  soon  dis- 
appear. 

Some  years  ago,  many  Bears  used  to  come  down  to  feed 
on  tlie  dead  salmon  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Snake  and 
Salmon  Rivers.  I  believe  Bears  are  somewhat  plentiful  in 
those  neighborhoods  still;  but,  for  some  reason  or  another, 
large  Bears  were  not  commonly  found.  In  Southern  Mon- 
tana, Grizzlies  are  fairly  common  in  the  Granite  Range, 
lying  between  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  and  Clarke's 
Fork;  but  a  great  deal  of  hunting  has  been  done  in  that 
region.  In  Colorado,  Bears  are  becoming  scarce.  Even  in 
the  loneliest  parts  of  Wyoming,  of  late.  Bears  of  any  size 
have  been  hard  to  find.  On  my  last  trip,  I  hunted  jjerti- 
naciously,  many  times  going  away  from  camp  with  nothing 
but  my  blankets  and  a  little  grub,  and  staying  away  for 
days;  yet  I  only  succeeded  in  killing  one  large  Bear. 

Perhaps  some  account  of  this  incident  may  not  ])e  alto- 
gether uninteresting.  We  had  been  camping  for  some 
weeks  in  a  green  hollow,  almost  ten  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  A  grove  of  nut-x)ines  sheltered  our  lean-to, 
where  men  and  hunters  slept,  and  right  before  our  tent  a 
fairy  fountain  rose,  spread  into  a  clear  j)ool,  and  then  rushed 
down  the  valley.  It  was  an  ideal  hunting-camp,  and  from 
it,  with  our  glasses,  we  could  cover  a  great  deal  of  country. 
During  our  stay  in  that  camp  we  saw  more  than  twelve 
Bears,  but,  though  the  immediately  surrounding  country 
certainly  had  not  been  hunted  before  for  many  years,  these 
were  unusually  shy.  We  had  no  traps  with  us,  and  though 
several  Bears  came  stealthily  to  what  was  left  of  the  one  or 
two  carcasses  of  Elk  we  had  killed,  they  did  not  come  in  the 
dayliglit,  and  in  vain  I  sat  by  tliem  till  late  in  the  evening, 
or  crawled  noiselessly  uj)  to  them  in  the  early  morning 
light.  In  si)ite  of  the  jtrotest  of  my  companions,  I  deter- 
mined to  sleep  out  all  night  by  one  of  the  carcasses,  which 
had  been  visited  by  an  unusutdly  large  Bear.  I  shall  not  in 
a  huriv  foi-uet  that  eveniufj;.    I  rolled  myself  in  my  Buffalo- 


THE  GRIZZLY   BEAR.  225 

robe,  and  lay  down  between  two  pine-trees,  in  a  dark  hol- 
low, fifteen  feet  or  so  to  the  windward  of  the  bait,  and 
arranged  a  light  cord  round  the  carcass  in  such  a  way,  at 
about  three  feet  from  the  ground,  that  if  I  should  fall 
asleep,  and  while  I  was  sleeping  the  Bear  came,  his  pressure 
on  the  string  would  awaken  me  by  pulling  at  my  wrist. 
About  two  hours  after  sundown,  I  heard  the  stealthy 
approach  of  a  large  animal  in  the  underbrush;  but  it  was  so 
pitch-dark  that,  though  the  noise  did  not  seem  more  than 
twenty  feet  away,  I  could  see  absolutely  nothing;  and  the 
Bear  must  have  smelt  me,  for  he  went  off.  Toward  morn- 
ing I  fell  asleep,  and  must  have  slept  about  an  hour,  when 
suddenly  I  felt  something  soft  press  on  my  head.  For  a 
moment  I  was  badly  scared,  as  I  thought  the  Bear  had  mis- 
taken me  for  the  bait,  and  had  stepped  bodily  on  top  of 
•me.  In  my  half-awake  condition,  I  had  mistaken  a  big 
squirrel — that,  falling  off  the  tree,  hit  me  full  in  the  face — for 
the  game  I  was  after.  After  the  sun  was  up,  I  went  back 
to  camp,  hungry  enough,  and  rather  chilled. 

Next  day  1  determined  to  explore  a  distant  gulch  that 
none  of  our  party  had  yet  visited,  and  taking  one  of  the 
men  and  a  couple  of  horses  with  me,  with  food  for  two 
days,  we  started  off.  When  we  made  camp,  we  were  about 
eighteen  miles  from  our  party,  and  found  ourselves  in  a 
splendid  valley,  in  which  there  was  considerable  Elk-sign. 
All  that  day  and  the  next  we  saw  a  good  deal  of  fresh  Elk- 
sign,  and  some  Bear- sign,  but  saw  no  game.  Anyone  who 
has  hunted  in  the  mountains  will  remember  how  many  dis- 
apiDointments  of  this  kind  he  has  had.  You  sometimes  find 
tracks  only  a  daj^  or  so  old  all  around  .you,  and  yet  the 
game  that  made  them  seems  utterly  to  have  vanished.  Com- 
ing back  to  camj)  the  second  evening,  we  almost  stumbled 
over  a  Bear.  We  were  walking  along  the  edge  of  a  deep 
ravine,  and  he  was  evidently  coming  out  of  it.  Some 
twisting  current  of  air  gave  him  our  scent,  and  we  heard  his 
"  whiff !  whiff  1 "  and  the  rattle  of  the  stones  as  he  bundled 
down  the  descent.  After  two  fruitless  days,  our  coffee  and 
bacon  were  gone,  and  nothing  remained  but  a  little  oatmeal; 

.    15 


226  BIG   (iAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

but  as  there  was  no  meat  in  camp,  I  determined  to  try  it 
one  day.  longer.  "Patience  and  perseverance  will  bring," 
they  say,  "a  snail  to  Jerusalem;"  and  it  certainly  is  the 
only  secret  of  luck  that  a  hunter  can  command  in  the  West, 
to-day.  On  the  third  day,  when  going  along  an  Elk-trail, 
many  miles  from  our  little  temporary  camp,  in  thick  brush, 
about  seventy-live  yards  away,  I  suddenly  saw  the  fore  legs 
of  an  Elk.  StejDping  a  few  feet  out  of  the  trail,  1  got  a 
glimpse  of  his  shoulder,  just  as  he  winded  us  and  bounded 
down  the  mountain.  Fortunately,  the  trees  opened  up  a 
little  and  gave  me  a  chance-shot.  1  was  not  certain  whether 
I  had  hit  him  or  not;  but  following  a  few  yards  down  the 
hill,  I  saw  him  lying  in  a  heap — a  splendid  bull.  We  took 
what  meat  we  needed  for  ourselves  and  our  friends  across 
the  mountain,  and  having  blazed  a  trail  for  some  two  miles, 
so  that  we  could  on  our  return  easily  find  him  in  spite  of 
the  dense  timber,  with  light  hearts  we  made  our  way  back  to 
camp.  There  a  high  time  awaited  us,  for  none  of  the  party 
in  our  absence  had  succeeded  in  killing  any  game. 

In  the  course  of  four  or  five  days,  I  determined  to  revisit 
the  carcass,  and  sit  by  it  in  the  evening,  hoping  to  kill  a 
Bear.  The  Elk  lay,  as  I  say,  in  thick  timber.  It  was 
between  five  and  six  in  the  afternoon  when  I  got  within  half 
a  mile  of  the  spot.  We  picketed  the  horses,  and  approached 
the  carcass  carefully.  When  within  fifty  yards,  I  saw  the 
sign  of  a  good-sized  Bear.  The  earth  and  the  stones  and 
roots  had  all  been  torn  up,  and  it  was  evident  that 
"Ephraim"  was  preparing  a  cache  in  which  to  secrete  his 
"find.  The  signs  were  fresh,  and  I  knew  that  in  all  probability 
the  Bear  lay  close  to  the  carcass.  The  timber  was  so  dense 
that  when  within  twenty  feet  of  the  Elk  I  could  still  see  noth- 
ing. And  here  we  reaped  the  advantage  of  having  blazed  the 
trail.  No  matter  how  carefully  the  position  where  the  Elk 
lay  had  been  marked,  it  would  not  have  been  possible, 
without  the  blaze  on  the  trees,  to  note  the  exact  spot,  and 
almost  certainly  our  game  woulcl  have  been  scared  from  the 
carcass.  A  few  feet  more,  and  through  the  brush  I  saw  a 
ureat  mound  of  earth.     We  measured  it  afterward;  it  was 


A  RUDE   A//AKENING. 


THE   GRIZZLY   BEAR.  227 

more  than  twelve  feet  long  and  over  five  high — logs  and 
stones  all  piled  on  top  of  the  carcass.  I  had  scarcely  time 
to  notice  this  before  there  was  a  rush  in  the  underbrush, 
and  the  head  and  shoulders  of  an  old  Grizzly  appeared 
within  a  few  feet  of  my  face.  He  had  been  dozing  beside 
the  carcass,  and  hearing,  when  I  was  very  close,  my  cautious 
footstep,  he  rushed  forward  to  see  who  was  threatening  his 
prize.  It  was  as  impossible  for  him  to  see  us  as  for  us  to 
see  him,  till  we  were  within  a  few  feet  of  each  other.  Had 
the  Bear  rushed  straight  on,  I  do  not  think  I  would  have 
had  time  to  shoot;  but  that  is  what  a  Grizzly  does  not  do, 
whatever  men  may  say.  He,  like  all  his  kind,  reared  up 
for  a  moment,  to  have  a  better  look  at  us;  and  scarcely 
waiting  to  put  my  rifle  to  my  shoulder,  I  gave  him  a  "line- 
shot  ' '  about  eight  inches  below  his  nose.  He  sunk  down, 
dead  as  a  stone.  I  never  saw  a  live  Grizzly  so  close  before 
— the  hair  w^as  fairly  singed  by  my  powder — and  I  certainly 
have  no  desire  to  see  one  any  closer.  This  habit  of  rearing 
up  gives  the  hunter,  if  he  be  at  all  cool  and  his  rifle  a 
good  one,  all  the  chance  that  he  can  require  in  his  favor. 
Another  curious  thing  about  this  splendid  animal  is  that, 
except  when  close  up  to  his  enemy,  he  almost  always  falls 
to  shot,  even  though  the  wound  received  may  not  be 
fatal.  He  falls  and  roars  as  the  bullet  strikes  him,  and 
thus  increases  the  odds  against  himself.  This  Bear,  the 
last  I  have  killed,  had  an  unusually  fine  coat.  He  had  the 
largest  head  for  his  size  I  ever  saw,  and  when  the  skin 
was  pegged  out,  without  undue  stretching,  it  measured 
eight  feet  six  inches  across  the  arms,  from  claw  to  claw. 


THE  POLAR  BEAR. 


^Y  Sebgeant  Francis  Long,  of  the  Greely  Arctic  Expedition,  and  George 
S.  McTavish,  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 


pIEN  the  projectors  of  the  Lady  Franklin  Bay 
i*c    enterprise  were  planning  their  explorations  in 


^M'Wp^  the  polar  regions,  I  was  selected  and  detailed  to 
accompany  the  expedition  as  a  hunter.  My  long 
experience  in  hunting  the  big  game  of  the  Far  West  proved 
of  great  value  to  me  in  this  service,  and  yet,  in  common 
with  other  members  of  the  expedition,  and  with  the  Eski- 
mos whom  we  employed  to  assist  us,  I  had  great  difficulty 
in  securing  sufficient  fresh  meat  to  feed  the  brave  men  who 
manned  our  ships,  after  we  entered  the  regions  of  eternal 
snow  and  ice.  Still,  the  plan  of  providing  a  special  detail 
to  do  the  hunting  proved  a  wise  one;  for,  without  the  fruits 
of  the  chase  which  we  secured  under  such  hardships  arid 
perils,  none  of  us  could  have  lived  until  the  arrival  of  the 
rescuing  party. 

Having  been  requested  to  Avrite  of  the  Polar  Bear,  I  have 
condensed  as  much  as  possible  the  information  I  gathered 
during  my  three  years  of  battling  with  icebergs  and  frost, 
and  shall  make  such  notes  thereon,  and  describe  such  of  my 
varied  experiences  in  hunting  that  animal,  as  I  deem  of  the 
greatest  interest  to  sportsmen  and  the  general  public. 

Looking  back  over  that  period  of  three  years,  during 
which  time  we  were  exposed  to  the  icy  blasts  of  the  polar 
regions,  were  compelled  to  live  on  reduced  rations,  and  even 
to  face  starvation  on  an  icy  desert,  I  can  readily  realize 
that,  without  the  most  strenuous  efforts  in  the  way  of 
hunting  and  of  turning  the  resources  of  that  inhospitable 
waste  to  the  most  rigid  account,  we  should  have  found  the 
end  of  our  scant  larder  much  sooner  than  w^e  did. 

(229) 


230  BIG   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Tliough  my  hunting  was  not  confined  to  the  Polar  Bear, 
I  learned  much  of  the  habits  of  that  unfamiliar  creature, 
and  of  his  trickery,  from  coming  into  frequent  contact  with 
him.  He  makes  his  home  among  the  ice-fields  of  the  North, 
and  is  a  restless  animal;  like  the  Gypsy,  he  lays  down  to 
rest  unprotected  from  the  howling  blasts  of  winter,  his  bed 
being  the  solid  ice  and  his  shaggy  coat  his  only  shelter. 
About  four  hours  each  day  is  the  longest  time  he  allows 
himself  for  rest  from  his  patient  and  persevering  search  for 
food,  for  his  cavernous  maw  and  his  voracious  appetite  tax 
his  skill  and  time  to  keep  them  supplied  with  fish  and  flesh. 

In  his  hunt  for  game,  the  night  as  well  as  day  is  favor- 
able to  him,  the  reflection  from  the  ice,  at  night,  being  suffi- 
cient light  to  enable  him  to  sight  and  steal  upon  his  prey. 
The  Seal  is  the  chief  source  of  food  for  the  Polar  Bear, 
though  he  also  preys  on  the  Walrus  and  on  various  fishes. 

On  one  occasion,  I  was  ordered  to  Alexandria  Harbor,  in 
company  with  two  Eskimos,  to  investigate  the  chances  of 
procuring  game  there.  We  had  been  informed  by  the 
natives  that  this  locality  abounded  in  game,  and  being 
short  of  rations,  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  send  a  party 
there  to  replenish  our  meat  supply.  On  March  15tli,  while 
at  the  Harbor,  I  started  alone  in  search  of  a  Bear.  Having 
seen  Bear-tracks  the  day  before,"  I.  was  unable  to  sleep 
during  the  night,  my  mind  being  occupied  with  brilliant 
schemes  for  a  Bear-hunt  in  the  morning,  and  I  was 
extremely  anxious  to  succeed  in  allaying  the  hunger  of  my 
comrades.  However,  success  seemed  not  to  attend  my 
efforts.  I  tramped  the  entire  day  through  snow  and  over 
ice,  endeavoring  to  find  the  trail  of  the  Bear  and  to  figure 
out  the  course  he  had  taken.  I  found  his  tracks  occasion- 
ally, but  they  were  filled  with  snow,  and  at  times  entirely 
obliterated,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  follow  them. 
Night  coming  on,  and  being  discouraged  at  my  fruitless 
attempt  to  secure  the  object  of  my  dreams,  I  started  to 
retrace  my  steps  toward  our  temx)orary  camp.  On  my 
retreat,  1  had  to  travel  nearly  half  a  mile  out  of  my  course, 
to  avoid  a  large  ice-floe,  which  had  lodged  there  the  previ- 


THE   POLAR   BEAR.  231 

ons  winter,  and  which  was  piled  to  a  height  of  nearly  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  surrounding  ice.  I  was  advancing 
directly  toward  open  water,  in  my  efforts  to  obviate  the 
necessity  of  climbing  the  ice-floe,  and  being  in  doubt  as  to 
the  best  course  to  pursue,  hesitated  a  moment  to  reflect, 
when  my  attention  was  attracted  to  a  dark  object  on  the 
ice  on  the  oj^posite  side  of  the  open  water.  I  at  once  saw 
that  it  was  a  Seal;  but  being  in  a  perilous  position  and  out 
of  rifle  range,  it  would  have  been  useless  for  me  to  attempt 
to  secure  him.  While  momentarily  reflecting,  being  reluc- 
tant to  give  up  the  hunt  with  game  in  sight,  I  was  surprised 
to  see  the  familiar  white  form  of  a  great  Polar  Bear  one  or 
two  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  of  the  Seal,  and  moving  cau- 
tiously toward  it.  This  increased  my  eagerness  to  reach 
the  scene  of  action,  and.  if  possible,  to  get  in  a  shot,  for 
here  was  meat  for  all  our  party  for  several  days.  But  I  was 
absolutely  powerless,  and  must  simply  see  the  game  come 
and  go,  while  I  gazed  in  anxious  curiosity  at  his  strange 
movements. 

The  Bear  crouched  low  on  the  ice,  and  crept  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Seal  at  an  extremely  slow  pace,  until  he  had 
arrived  within,  I  should  think,  thirty  feet,  when,  with  a 
bound  forward,  he  pounced  upon  his  victim.  A  short 
struggle  followed,  and  the  Bear  was  victor. 

I  am  led  to  believe  that  the  Seal  can  only  see  in  front  of 
him,  and  that  he  depends  entirely  on  his  sense  of  hearing 
to  protect  him  from  approach  from  the  rear.  The  Bear 
being  aware  of  the  weakness  of  his  victim,  is  enabled,  from 
his  color  and  soft  tread,  to  pursue  his  tactics  successfully. 

It  is  claimed  by  some  hunters  that  the  Polar  Bear  is  a 
herbivorous  animal;  but  vegetation  and  animal  life  are 
equally  scanty  to  the  northward  from  Cape  Sabine.  So  far 
as  our  observations  went,  we  can  not  substantiate  the  writ- 
ings of  those  authors  who  state  that  vegetation  forms  a  part 
of  the  Bears  subsistence. 

The  White  Bear  breeds  in  the  southern  portions  of  the 
Arctic  Circle,  and  their  young  do  not  accompany  them 
when,    in   spring,    they   journey   northward.       Lieutenant 


232  iiKi  gamp:  of  north  America. 

Lockwood,  in  May,  1882,  noticed  Bear-tracks  going  north- 
eastward on  the  north  coast  of  Greenland,  in  83*^  3'  north — 
the  highest  hititiide  in  which  signs  of  this  animal  have  ever 
been  seen.  They  are  not  vicious  except  when  wounded, 
and  will  invariably  take  to  water  when  alarmed,  if  there  be 
any  in  the  vicinity.  If  the  Bear  succeeds  in  reaching  the 
water,  the  hunter's  opportunity  is  usually  lost.  Even  a 
telling  shot  will  avail  him  nothing,  for  should  he  succeed 
in  killing  the  Bear,  he  can  rarely  recover  the  carcass  from 
among  the  floating  ice.  The  Bear,  not  being  able  to  remain 
long  under  the  water,  alternately  dives  and  reapj)ears  on 
the  surface  of  the  water  in  order  to  evade  the  hunter. 

While  at  Cape  Sabine,  in  latitude  74°  32'  north,  19°  west, 
after  our  party  had  made  the  perilous  journey,  reaching  the 
farthest  north,  and  had  returned  in  the  hope  that  a  relief 
party  would  be  awaiting  us,  our  scanty  remnant  of  food 
was  stored  away  in  a  rude  stone  house.  We  experienced 
continued  annoyance  from  Bears  breaking  into  our  meat- 
house  while  we  were  asleep,  and  stealing  what  little  meat 
we  had. 

On  April  11th,  Sergeant  Brainard,  one  of  our  party,  had 
occasion  to  visit  Cemetery  Ridge,  a  place  a  short  distance 
back  of  our  camp,  where  our  dead  comrades  were  buried. 
Returning,  he  was  surprised  l)y  a  Bear  advancing  toward 
him.  Being  unarmed,  he  hurried  to  camp,  and  being 
already  sadly  reduced  by  hard  work,  starvation,  and  ex- 
posure, fell  exhausted  in  the  tent,  exclaiming,  "A  bear  I  a 
bear! "' 

We  were  elated  at  this  prospect  of  obtaining  food. 
Lieutenant  Kislinnburv,  Jens  Christiansen,  an  Eskimo,  and 
myself  seized  the  guns  and  started  in  the  direction  indi- 
cated by  Brainard.  AVe  had  gone  but  a  few  hundred 
yaids  when  Kislingbury,  weak  from  want  of  food,  became 
exhausted,  and  gave  up  the  chase.  Jens  and  I  continued, 
fully  determined  ui)on  giving  Bruin  a  hard  taslv  to  save  his 
life,  should  we  come  within  ritle  range.  AVe  moved  briskly 
forward,  scanning  the  ice-lields  closely  and  eagerly,  fearing 
lest  he  should  discover  us  first,  and  thereby  evade  our  attack. 


TlIK    POLAR    BEAU. 


233 


Direct!}'  in  our  front  was  a  large  ice-Hoe.  We  consulted  a 
moment  as  to  the  best  way  to  overcome  the  difficulty  of 
getting  to  the  opposite  side,  Avhen  we  discovered  a  fore  leg 
of  the  animal  moving  cautiously  uj)  over  the  ice.  An  instant 
later,  his  head  appeared,  and  then  he  saw  us.  Dropping 
suddenly  back,  he  retreated,  without  giving  us  a  shot. 
Knowing  from  experience  the  tactics  that  he  w^ould  pursue, 
we  at  once  decided  to  separate,  one  going  south  and  the 


Shippea. 

other  north,  around  the  ice-pack.  We  knew  that  by  this 
means  one  or  the  other  of  us  could  cut  him  off  before  he 
could  reach  water,  which  was  about  three  miles  away. 

We  pushed  forward  over  the  rough  ice,  occasionall}^ 
sighting  the  Bear,  which  seemed  to  be  making  the  best  time 
possible.  After  we  had  gone  a  mile  or  more  in  a  direct  line, 
we  noticed  that  the  Bear  had  slackened  his  pace,  but  w^as 
still  moving  toward  ice-packs  and  open  water,  wdiich,  if  he 
reached  them,  W'Ould  prevent  us  fi'om  getting  him.  AVe 
noticed,  however,  that  w^e  were  gaining  rapidly  on  him,  and 


234  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

hjiviiig  the  advantage  of  a  promontory  of  ice  which  would 
obscure  his  view  of  us,  we  redoubled  our  speed,  when, 
arriving  on  smooth  ice  again,  we  found  ourselves  within 
easy  ritle  range  of  the  Bear.  Jens,  the  Eskimo,  coming  out 
tii'st  and  being  nearest  to  him,  got  the  first  shot,  striking 
the  animal  in  the  fore  paw.  The  wound  made  no  percepti- 
ble change  in  the  Bear's  movements,  except  that  he  occa- 
sionally raised  his  paw  and  shook  it.  He  kept  on  at  a' 
shambling  trot,  wallowing  over  the  rough  surface  of  the  ice 
at  the  best  speed  he  could  command.  Seeing  that  it  now 
dei^ended  on  me,  and  knowing  that  a  few  steps  more  would 
bring  him  to  water,  I  took  off  my  glove,  dropped  on  one 
knee,  and  taking  a  careful  aim,  fired,  striking  him  in 
the  side  behind  the  shoulder.  He  fell,  but  got  up  and 
started  on,  when  I  fired  a  second  shot,  which  took  effect 
just  back  of  the  ear,  lodging  in  the  brain  and  killing  him 
instantly-. 

Thus  ended  a  most  exciting  chase,  which  resulted  in  the 
addition  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  fresh  meat  to 
our  stores,  which  prolonged  our  lives  for  several  days,  and 
without  which  probably  none  of  us  would  have  been  alive 
when  the  relief  party  arrived.  y   t 


My  first  introduction  to  a  White  or  Polar  Bear  was  in 
1878,  in  Hudson  Straits.  One  morning  while  our  ship  was 
sailing  through  fioes  of  ice — fortunately  not  very  heavy, 
but  sufficiently  dangerous  to  make  us  keep  a  strict  watch, 
and  to  require  us  to  give  them  as  wide  a  berth  as  possible — 
I  noticed,  as  one  large  floe  i)assed  our  counter,  a  strange 
object  on  it,  and  calling  the  attention  of  the  first  officer,  an 
old  whaler,  was  informed  that  it  was  a  sleeping  Bear.  Un- 
fortunately for  us,  our  Captain  had  been  on  deck  all  night, 
and  had  just  gone  to  sleep,  so  we  were  not  allowed  to  dis- 
turb him  by  discharging  fire-arms,  for  his  wrath  would  have 
been  more  potent  than  even  that  of  a  wounded  Bear.  The 
consequence  was  that  both  Bear  and  Captain  were  undis- 
turbed. 


THE  POLAR  BEAR.  235 

Since  then  I  have  hunted  and  killed  a  number  of  Polar 
Bears  on  land,  and  have  heard  many  strange  stories  con- 
cerning them  from  Indians  and  Eskimos.  The  result  of 
some  of  my  observations  and  experience  I  now  commit  to 
paper,  for  the  benefit  of  those  wlio  have  not  had  similar 
opportunities  of  studying  this  strange  denizen  of  the  hyper- 
borean regions. 

The  White  Bear  is  an  amj)hibious  animal,  but  seems 
more  at  home  on  icebergs  and  ice-floes  than  on  land.  The 
reason  is  obvious.  Food  of  the  kind  that  he  prefers  is  much 
more  easily  obtained  on  floating  ice  than  on  land,  so  that 
the  latter  is  seldom  approached  by  the  Polar  Bear,  save  at 
the  time  when  the  females  proceed  to  winter  quarters  in  the 
interior,  some  distance  from  the  sea-coast,  for  the  purpose 
of  hybernating  and  bringing  forth  their  young.  This  occurs 
in  the  latter  part  of  September  or  beginning  of  October. 
The  male  Bear  accompanies  the  female  until  he  has  seen  her 
domiciled,  and  then  returns  to  the  coast,  usually  in  Novem- 
ber or  December.  No  sooner  does  he  reach  his  former 
habitat  than  he  proceeds  out  to  sea  to  hunt  and  fish  for  his 
living.  The  she-Bears,  with  their  cubs,  return  to  the  coast 
in  March,  April,  or  May.  The  usual  number  of  cubs  at 
a  birth  is  two — sometimes  there  is  only  one,  and  rarely 
three.  Females  are  lean  in  spring,  and  of  course  are  more 
aggressive  when  taking  care  of  their  young  than  at  other 
times. 

White  Bears,  as  a  rule,  try  to  evade  the  hunter;  still, 
there  are  individuals  that  will  attack  first.  Although  the 
Polar  Bear  is  synonomously  termed  the  AVhite  Bear,  they 
are  not  all  white.  Those  that  are  most  likely  to  run  away 
from  the  hunter  are  pure  white.  From  the  smallest  to  the 
largest  size,  these  White  Bears  are  timid,  and  I  have  noticed, 
on  their  being  killed,  that  they  are  the  fattest.  The  most 
dangerous  and  aggressive  kind,  other  than  females  with 
cubs,  is  the  large-sized  male  Bear  of  a  yellowish,  dirty  color, 
and  an  Indian  usually  leaves  this  kind  alone,  unless  he  has 
a  companion,  or  has  perfect  confidence  in  his  own  nerve  and 
his  weapon.     Another  sort  is  the  small-sized  Bear,  of  both 


236  BK*  GAME   OF  NORTU   AMERICA. 

sexes,  neither  white  nor  yellow,  but  rather  dirty  looking; 
and  these  are  likewise  the  best  runners. 

It  is  an  error  to  sujjpose  that  Bears,  because  of  their 
great  size,  can  not  run  swiftly.  They  are  remarkably  fleet- 
footed,  and  have  often  overtaken  Indians  in  a  fair  race,  and 
killed  tliem.  Their  speed,  however,  dei)ends  greatly  on  the 
condition  they  are  in.  If  fat,  their  rate  of  progi^ession  is 
slower;  but  if  lean  and  hungry,  their  fleetness  of  foot  is 
almost  incredible.  These  last  are,  however,  rarely  met 
with  on  land.  Those  I  have  seen  there  were  of  the  more 
tinud  sort. 

Sometimes  Bears  advance  to  the  attack,  but  on  finding 
the  hunter  determined  and  bold,  they  wheel  about  and  run 
away.  Once  they  do  so,  their  chances  of  escaj^e  are  small, 
if  the  hunter  be  cool  and  a  good  shot,  as  they  seldom  sum- 
mon up  resolution  to  face  the  hunter  a  second  time,  unless 
badly  wounded  by  a  bullet. 

The  general  opinion  is  that  White  Bears  are  only  vulner- 
able when  sliot  behind  the  ear.  This  is  a  most  absurd 
error.  A  bullet  from  a  large  bore,  heavily  charged  modem 
rifle,  if  i^lanted  behind  the  shoulder,  is  equally  effective  on 
the  Polar  Bear  as  on  any  other  large  animal,  and  one  in  any 
part  of  the  body  is  almost  certain  to  bring  him  down  and 
prevent  his  escape. 

I  have  never  weighed  any  carcasses  of  Polar  Bears,  but, 
as  neai-ly  as  I  could  estimate,  those  I  have  killed  would 
vary  from  two  hundred  to  six  or  seven  hundred  pounds. 

The  food  of  the  White  Bear  is  principally  Seal,  although 
I  have  seen  one  eating  grass;  and  several  deposits  I  have 
examined  showed  plainly  that  they  do  not  subsist  entirely 
on  animal  food.  I  have  also  examined  the  contents  of  their 
stomachs,  and  they  also  attest  this  fact. 

Their  modus  operandi  of  catching  the  Seal  is  as  follows: 
The  Bear  having  discovered  a  Seal  asleep  on  an  ice-floe, 
immediately  slips  into  the  water  if  he  himself  l)e  on  another 
ice-floe.  Diving,  he  swims  under  water  for  a  distance,  then 
reappears  and  takes  observations.  Alternately  diving  and 
swimming,  he  approaches  close  to  his  victim.     Before  his 


THE  POLAR  BEAR.  237 

final  disappearance,  he  seems  to  measure  the  intervening 
distance,  and  when  he  next  ai)pears  it  is  alongside  of  the 
Seal.  Then,  either  getting  on  the  ice  or  pouncing  upon  the 
Seal  as  it  tries  to  escape,  he  secures  it. 

Seals  are  not  his  only  animal  food,  however,  as  I  have 
frequently  noticed  his  claw-marks  on  the  backs  and  sides 
of  the  White  Porpoise.  In  some  cases,  the  Bear  seems  to 
have  sprung  on  the  Porpoise' s  back,  but  to  have  failed  to 
retain  his  hold,  no  doubt  owing  to  the  Porpoise  having 
dived,  as  the  claw-marks  extended  from  the  fins  clear  down 
to  the  tail  on  both  sides.  In  other  cases,  the  Bear  appears 
to  have  succeeded,  at  the  first  s^Dring,  in  getting  his  teeth 
planted,  thus  paralyzing  the  Porpoise  and  preventing  its 
diving  until  he  has  obtained  a  good  mouthful.  Porpoises, 
when  harpooned  in  the  back,  always  swim  with  the  liead 
out  of  water  for  some  distance,  and  the  bite  of  a  Bear  seems 
to  have  the  same  effect  on  them.  This  habit  would  i^rob- 
ably  enable  the  Bear  to  take  several  moutlif  uls;  at  any  rate, 
if  he  only  takes  one,  it  is  sufficient  to  leave  a  large  wound 
in  the  back  of  the  Porpoise.  I  have  seen  several  Porpoises 
thus  marked,  some  of  the  wounds  only  partially  healed  up. 
The  White  Bear  is  also  fond  of  fish. 

In  Hall's  "Life  of  the  Eskimo"  there  is  an  instance 
given  of  a  White  Bear  having  thrown  stones  from  a  cliff  on 
the  head  of  a  Walrus  that  was  lying  on  the  ice  beneath; 
and  I  have  heard  a  similar  story  related  by  an  Eskimo,  with 
only  this  difference,  that  instead  of  stones  the  Bear  is  said 
to  have  used  a  large  piece  of  ice,  which  he  dropped  from  an 
iceberg  on  the  sleeping  Walrus,  stunning  it  so  that  he  could 
get  down  and  seize  it  by  the  throat. 

Although  the  Polar  Bear  eats  dead  animals,  such  as 
Seals  and  Porpoises,  he  will  not  eat  a  man  who  has  presence 
of  mind  to  simulate  death.  Numerous  instances  are  cited, 
by  Arctic  travelers  and  Indians,  in  proof  of  this  assertion. 
An  old  Indian  who  had  been  scalped  by  a  Bear  told  me  this 
story: 

"  Traveling  by  myself,  I  espied  a  Bear,  and,  putting  fresh 
powder  in  the  pan  (he  had  a  fiint-lock  gun),  I  ran  toward 


238  mo   GAME   OF   NOHTII   AMERICA. 

him.  The  Bear  also  ran,  but  I  got  close  enough  to  him  to 
fire,  which  I  did,  and  the  Bear  dropped  dead,  as  I  thought. 
Without  loading — truly,  I  was  a  fool — I  walked  up  and 
struck  him  on  the  head  with  the  butt  of  my  gun.  Instead 
•  of  being  dead,  he  was  only  stunned,  and  the  blow  revived 
him.  Getting  up,  he  struck  me  on  the  head  in  return,  tear- 
ing the  scali)  down  over  my  face  and  filling  my  eyes  with 
blood.  I  fell,  and  exclaimed,  '  Go  aw^ay.  Bear,  you  have 
killed  me! '  The  Bear  then  ran  away,  and  I  lay  quiet  for  a 
long  time.  Then,  cleaning  the  blood  from  my  face,  I  looked 
around  cautiously,  and  saw  him  a  long  way  off.  I  got  up, 
and  managed  to  walk  to  my  tent;  but  (taking  off  his  cap) 
you  can  see  how  he  marked  me,  yourself." 

A  young  Indian,  three  years  ago,  w^hen  out  hunting, 
saw  a  Bear  and  two  cubs.  Being  of  an  adventurous  dis- 
position and  desirous  of  proving  his  manhood,  he  attacked 
the  Bear;  but,  unfortunately,  his  gun,  a  double-barreled 
percussion,  missed  fire,  and  flight  was  his  only  recourse. 
The  Bear,  leaving  the  cubs,  started  in  pursuit,  caught  and 
knocked  him  down.  Fear  kept  the  Indian  quiet,  and  the 
Bear,  after  turning  him  over  and  walking  round  him  sev- 
eral times,  growling,  turned  back  toward  her  young.  The 
Indian  got  up  and  ran,  which  the  Bear  no  sooner  noticed 
than  she  started  in  pursuit,  overtook  and  threw  him  down 
a  second  time,  giving  him  a  severe  bite  in  the  shoulder. 
She  rei:)eated  her  growling  performance,  and  the  Indian  lay 
still  till  she  had  gone  a  considerable  distance.  Then,  get- 
ting up,  he  threw  away  his  gun  and  ran  to  a  tree,  up  which 
he  climbed,  just  in  time  to  escape  the  Bear,  who  a  third  time 
pursued  him.  She  stood  on  her  hind  legs  and  shook  the 
tree;  but  the  Indian  held  on  till  she  got  tired  and  walked 
away,  looking  back  every  few  nunutes  to  see  if  he  had 
descended.  When  she  disapi)eared,  he  crawled  down, 
picked  up  his  gun,  and  went  home,  a  sadder  if  not  a  wiser 
man. 

A  third  instance  was  told  me:  An  Indian  and  his  boy, 
twelve  years  old,  were  on  the  coast  together.  They  saw 
a  Bear  coming,  and  the  father  told  the  bov  not  to  fire  until 


THE  POLAR  BEAR.  239 

after  lie  had  done  so.  They  both  lay  down  behind  differ- 
ent piles  of  drift-wood.  When  the  Bear  approached,  the 
boy  got  flurried,  tired,  and  missed.  The  father  then  fired 
hurriedly,  and  also  missed.  Before  he  could  reload,  the 
Bear  knocked  him  down,  seized  him  by  the  foot,  and 
dragged  him  a  few  yards,  but  without  hurting  him.  The 
old  man  kept  still,  and  pretended  to  be  dead,  till  the  Bear 
had  gone  a  sufficient  distance  to  allow  him  to  reload  his 
gun  before  it  could  return.  As  in  the  preceding  case,  the 
Bear,  seeing  the  man  get  up,  turned  back;  but  the  Indian 
was  prepared,  and  shot  him  dead.  "After  which,"  said 
he,  "  I  gave  my  son  a  sound  thrashing  for  not  doing  as  I 
told  him." 

Very  few  Bear-skins  are  obtained  from  the  Eskimos,  as 
they  cut  up  nearly  all  they  get,  and  use  them  for  pads  to 
enable  them  to  hunt  Seals  more  successfully  on  the  ice. 
The  Eskimo  approaches  the  Seal,  crawling,  imitating  its 
exact  movements  and  its  cry.  As  he  is  liable  to  slip  on 
the  smooth  ice  when  dragging  himself  along,  he  prevents 
this  by  sewing  a  piece  of  Bear-skin  to  his  clothing,  over  his 
shoulder,  arm,  and  hip.  The  hair  of  the  Bear-skin  sticks 
to  the  ice,  and  by  its  aid  the  hunter  can  move  much  more 
regularly,  and  can  approach  close  enough  to  shoot  the  Seal 
dead;  while,  if  compelled  to  shoot  from  a  greater  distance, 
he  would  be  liable  to  simply  wound  it,  when  it  would  dive 
into  its  hole  and  escajoe. 

The  Eskimos  have  a  superstition  that  if  a  White  Bear 
kills  one  of  their  number,  the  dead  man's  relatives  must 
turn  out,  follow,  and  kill  the  Bear;  otherwise  he  is  sure  to 
kill  someone  else.  A  case  of  this  double  killing  rarely 
happens;  yet  there  are  several  stories  of  this  kind  current 
among  the  natives. 

The  Eskimos  frequently  hunt  the  Bear  with  spears; 
and  when  two  skillful  spearmen  attnck  even  the  largest 
Polar  Bear,  it  is  an  easy  matter  for  them  to  dispatcl^  him. 
One  takes  the  right  and  the  other  the  left  side.  The 
first  hunter  merely  acts  as  a  decoy,  and  pricks  the  Bear 
slightly.     'No  sooner  does  the  Bear  feel  the  sx)ear-point 


240 


Bid   GAME   OF  NOUTII   AMERICA. 


than  he  turns  on  liis  iissuilunt,  when  the  second  Eskimo, 
who  is  close  on  the  other  side,  then  gives  the  home- thrust. 
The  Eskimos  do  not  often  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Bear — 
perhaps  never,  excei)t  when  pressed  by  hunger.  The 
Indians  eat  it,  and  I  once  lived  for  several  days  on  the  flesh 
of  an  old  AVliite  Bear.  It  is  tough,  rather  strong  in  flavor, 
but  palatable.  That  of  the  cubs,  on  the  contrary,  is  good 
eating,  and  I  have  enjoyed  several  good  meals  off  them. 
Prejudice  is  hard  to  overcome,  but  hunger  sometimes  over- 
rules it. 


A  POLAR  HUNT.* 


AY  could  not  be  said  to  luive  dawned  when  we  awoke, 

I    for  the  sun  had  not  been  seen  in  three  months,  and 

1 1§^    ^^'^  were  in  the  midst  of  the  polar  winter.     Yet  the 

^^       bitter  cold  of  the  Arctic  morning,    all  the  more 

keenly  noticeable  through  the  fires  burning  low,  roused  us 

from  our  slumbers. 

It  was  too  cold  at  night  to  undress;  therefore,  after  a 
hasty  breakfast  had  been  demolished,  all  that  had  to  be 
done  in  the  way  of  a  toilet  was  to  don  our  fur  costumes, 
of  Eskimo  manufacture,  and,  guns  in  hand,  we  left  the 
ship.  White  Bears  had  been  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
ship,  and  now  we  were  after  their  meat  as  well  as  their 
hides. 

A  superstitious  halo  seems  to  enshroud  the  Bruin  of  the 
Arctifs.  He  is  endowed,  in  the  minds  of  some  j^eople,  with 
supernatural  attributes  w^onderful  to  contemplate.  Indeed, 
he  appears  to  savor  more  of  the  supernatural  than  the 
natural.  While  he  is  undoubtedly  a  terrible  fellow  to 
encounter  single-handed,  yet,  if  a  choice  were  given  me,  I 
should  prefer  an  encounter  with  him  rather  than  with  a 
Grizzly  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,     But  to  our  adventures. 

Will  (my  chum)  and  I  had  been  followed  by  half  a  dozen 
of  the  Eskimo  sledge-dogs,  and  these  careered  about  on 
every  side,  hundreds  of  yards  away,  clearly  showing  that  if 
a  Bear  were  snoozing  anywhere  in  the  townshij)  (Jove!  I'm 
forgetting  where  we  were),  he  would  run  the  risk  of  disturb- 
ance. Will  carried  a  heavy  English  Express  rifle — the  cali- 
ber of  which  I  have  forgotten — carrying  an  explosive  ball, 
while  my  shooting-tube  was  a  45-90  Winchester  repeater, 
that  threw  an  expansive  bullet.     Anything  that  this  bullet 

*  A  friend  who  recently  spent  some  months  at  Hudson's  Bay  sends  me  this  sketch,  and 
modestly  requests  that  his  name  he  withheld.— Editor. 
16  (  -Ml  ) 


242  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMP:KI0A. 

struck,  in  the  animal  line,  had  a  large  aperture  made  in  its 
anatomy.  Besides  this,  we  each  carried  a  Coifs  Frontier 
revolver  (warranted  to  floor  you  every  time)  and  murderous 
looking  bovvies,  for  close  quarters.  Yes,  we  were  out  for 
scalps. 

An  ice-field  is  not  a  pleasant  promenade;  there  is  noth- 
ing billiard-table-like  in  its  surface,  and  what  with  climbing 
'bergs  and  getting  over  crevasses  in  the  best  fashion  pos- 
sible— above  all,  the  uncertain  light — our  progress  was  slow. 

Hello!  That  dog  seems  as  excited  as  if  he'd  struck  a 
bone.  What  the  deuce  is  up!  Will  says  a  Bear,  and 
adds:  "I  think  we'd  better  go  back  to  the  ship;  I-l-I'm 
cold." 

"Nonsense,"  I  say;  "you'll  have  all  the  crew  laughing 
at  you.     Come  on." 

Yes,  it  was  a  Bear,  standing  back  on  an  enormous 
'berg,  and  striking  out  at  tlie  yelping  pack  that  surrounded 
him  with  his  awful-looking  paws — a  great  yellow  brute, 
with  discolored  fangs  and  cavernous  mouth,  from  which 
issued  clouds  of  steam-like  vapor.  I  too  wished  I  were  at 
home. 

"  W-W-W-W-Will,  are  you  ready  ?"  I  managed  to  ask. 

"  W-w-w-wait  till  1  get  off  my  g-g-glove;  d — n  it." 

"What's  the  matter?" 

"I've  blistered  my  fingers  on  the  trigger-guard," 

"Any  man,"  I  said,  with  withering  sarcasm,  "who 
doesn't  know  enough  not  to  touch  iron  when  it's  forty-five 
below  zero,  without  a  glove  on,  isn't  qualified  to  pound 
sand." 

He  withered  under  my  cutting  words,  and  tried  to  brace 
up  for  the  impending  ordeal. 

I  looked  at  the  Bear.  Tliere  he  still  stood,  and  I  thought 
it  strange,  for  I'd  given  him  lots  of  time  to  get  away.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  fire  now.  Will's  eye  was  on  me, 
and  he  was  laying  low  to  get  even,  I  knelt  down  and  aimed 
carefully,  my  companion  doing  likewise.  It's  a  mighty 
different  thing  shooting  at  a  target  and  drawing  a  bead  on 
a  Bear  that  can  just  claw  you  to  pieces  iind  eat  you  after- 


A   POLAR   HUNT.  243 

ward.  I  ached  with  longing  for  him  to  run  away,  but  he 
seemed  in  no  mood  for  running.  It  was  mean  of  him  not 
to,  for  I  hadn'  t  done  anything  to  cause  him  to  wait  for  me. 

One,  two,  three ! 

Bang !  bang ! 

The  Bear  gave  a  low  moan  and  sank  on  the  ice,  blood 
pouring  from  his  chest,  and  the  dogs  worrying  the  inanimate 
carcass.     We  knew  then  that  he  was  dead. 

"I  don't  think  much  of  Polar  Bears,  anyhoW,"  quoth 
AYill;  "we're  their  medicine,  every  time.  Didn't  I  just 
drop  him  ! ' ' 

"You  be  hanged,"  said  I,  indignantly;  "/killed  that 
Bear." 

"No,  you  didn't;  I  killed  him." 

"Well,  don't  let  us  quarrel.     Come  and  look  at  him." 

On  one  side  of  the  breast-bone  a  hole  twice  the  size  of 
one's  fist  could  be  seen;  on  the  other,  the  explosive  bullet 
had  done  its  work.     We  had  both  killed  the  Bear. 

"AVill,  we're  Bear  exteraiinators  from  Chicago.  Our 
mission  on  earth  is  to  clear  out  the  entire  genus  Ursus 
maritimus.     Forward  !  march  I     Our  task  is  but  begun.'" 

We  kicked  the  dogs  off  the  carcass,  and  scrambled  on. 
The  Bears  seemed  to  know  that  two  Illinois  terrors  were 
out,  for  they  laid  low,  and  for  some  time  we  could  see  none. 
After  another  hour' s  scrambling,  we  saw  one  waltzing  in  the 
distance,  and  the  dogs  sighting  at  the  same  time,  soon 
brought  him  to  a  stand.  This  second  Bear  wasn't  as  big  as 
the  other,  but  he  seemed  far  more  active,  and,  before  we  got 
near,  had  managed  to  reach  two  of  the  dogs — with  what 
result  need  not  be  said. 

We  were  cool  and  collected.  AYhy  should  Ave  fear? 
Hadn't  we  just  killed  one  Bear,  off-hand^  Will  gave  the 
signal  this  time;  but,  hang  it  I  that  Bear  didn't  drop.  He 
charged  through  the  dogs  and  came  straight  for  us.  I 
plunged  in  another  shot,  and  missed;  so  did  Will.  The 
Bear  was  thirty  yards  away,  and  I  had  only  two  shots  left, 
for  I  had  forgotten  to  recharge  my  magazine.  Will  had 
none.     Bang!     Another  miss,  and  one  shot  left!     Will  was 


244  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMPZRICA, 

trying  to  hide  in  a  crevasse.  I  wiinted  to  badly,  but 
couldn't,  for  I  scale  one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds,  and 
take  a  big  hole.  The  Bear  was  now  ten  yards  away. 
Should  I  try  my  last  chance  i  No;  best  wait  until  he  was 
closer,  and  then  one  shot  more.  I  knew  the  revolvers 
would  be  of  no  more  use  than  pea-shooters  against  the 
brute. 

How  I  wished  I'd  stayed  at  home,  and  not  come  on  this 
fooFs  errand!  I  knew  I  had  to  die  some  day,  but  it 
wasn't  nice  to  think  of  being  masticated  by  a  big,  dirty- 
looking,  lish -eating  Polar  Bear.  And  then  to  have  the 
Foxes  gnawing  at  my  bones,  and  fighting  as  to  which 
should  get  the  ones  with  the  most  marrow  !  Oh,  dear  !  how 
I  did  want  to  go  home  ! 

I  glanced  at  AVill,  He  was  pale  as  death.  The  hole 
wasn't  large  enough  to  cover  him,  and  the  worm  had 
turned.  He  knelt  on  the  ice,  knife  in  one  liand,  Colt  in  the 
other.  As  I  looked,  he  tired  a  shot  that  I  should  think 
went  about  ten  feet  over  the  Bear's  head,  and  the  revolver 
nearly  jumped  out  of  his  hand;  but  the  intention  was  good, 
and  I  forgave  him. 

"Will,"  I  said,  "  I've  been  mean  to  you  sometimes,  and 
you've  played  it  low-down  on  me  on  several  occasions,  but 
now  that  we're  going  to  be  coffined  together  in  a  measly 
Bear,  let's  forget  our  differences,  and  forgive  one  another." 

"All  right,  old  boy,"  he  answered;  "adieu  until  we 
meet  again — in  the  interior  of  the  Bear." 

The  brute  was  but  five  feet  from  the  muzzle  of  my  rifle 
now,  and  as  he  came  on,  head  well  up,  I  aimed  at  tlie  base 
of  the  tliroat,  pulled  the  trigger,  and  the  next  -thing  was 
knocked  over  backward,  with  the  Bear  atop  of  me. 

I  have  suffered  terrors  before.  I  have  been  in  a  railway 
wreck;  have  even  acted  as  marker  in  a  ladies'  revolver 
shooting-match,  and,  after  enduring  many  agonies  of  appre- 
hension, have  received  a  l)ullet  in  the  leg  from  a  fair  cham- 
pion's weapon;  I  have  l)een  asked  "my  intentions"  by  a 
miiscuhir  ])ai)a,  but  T  never  suffered  before  as  I  did  there 
for  a  few  seconds,  which  seemed  to  me  so  manv  hours.     I 


A   POLAK   HUNT. 


245 


knew  the  Bear  was  dead,  but  Will  thought  he  was  eating 
me,  and  bullets  from  his  revolver  were  jilowing  around  in 
horrible  fashion.  It  was  hard,  to  have  escaped  the  Bear, 
and  then  to  have  one's  friend  let  daylight  into  one! 

At  length  I  got  my  mouth  clear  of  fur,  and  contrived  to 
yell  that  all  was  right,  and  Will  ceased  firing. 

After  some  hard  work,  he  got  the  carcass  off  me,  and  I 
was  free,  though  soaked  with  blood  from  head  to  foot. 

My  shot  had  taken  effect  in  the  center  of  the  Bear's 
chest,  and  caused  instant  death,  but  the  impetus  had  car- 
ried the  body  against  and  over  me. 

Will  and  I  have  a  hide  each,  and  you  should  just  hear 
him  tell  of  our  exploits  on  that  memorable  day. 


THE  BLACK  BEAR. 


By  Col.  George  D.  Alexander, 


^HE  Black  Bear  of  North  America  resembles  the 
Brown  Bear  of  Europe  more  closely  than  that  of 
any  other  of  tiie  Bear  species.  Our  Ursus  Ameri- 
^"^  canus  never  attacks  a  human  being  unless  provoked 
or  wounded;  the  Brown  Bear  is  more  ferocious,  and  is  often 
the  aggressor.  The  formation  of  the  head  of  the  Black 
Bear  is  one  of  the  noted  peculiarities  that  distinguishes 
it  from  the  Brown  Bear.  The  curve  of  the  facial  expression 
from  the  top  of  the  head  to  the  nose  is  this  distinction,  not 
unfrequently  rendering  the  shot  of  the  hunter  ineffectual. 
A  bullet  striking  the  front  of  the  head  of  this  Bear  will,  if 
not  driven  by  a  heavy  charge  of  powder,  almost  invariably 
glance  off,  causing  only  a  momentary  stunning,  from  which 
it  rises  with  increased  ferocity;  and  unless  the  hunter  is 
close  enough  to  use  his  bovvie  or  cane  knife,  he  may  be 
either  fearfully  lacerated  or  killed. 

The  Black  Bear  lives  to  the  age  of  some  twenty  years  in 
caj^tivity;  how  much  longer  in  its  wild  state,  I  am  unable 
to  say.  It  is  extremely  timid,  dreading  no  animal  so  much 
as  man.  Its  hearing  is  so  acute  that  the  slightest  noise, 
the  mere  cracking  of  a  dry  twig,  catches  its  attention.  It  is 
seldom  still,  except  in  its  bed  or  lair;  the  head  in  constant 
motion,  to  catch  the  least  sound  of  danger. 

The  female  produces  two  young  in  February,  called  cubs. 
The  mating- season  is  in  July  and  August.  At  three  years 
old,  the  female  is  iisually  a  mother.  The  male  is  not  a 
monogamist,  like  the  Lion  or  Tiger. 

In  size,  the  male  is  much  the  larger;  when  fully  grown, 
is  about  three  feet  high,  and  often  pulls  the  scales  to  some 

(247) 


248  BIO  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

six  to  seven  hundred  pounds.  The  female  never  attains  to 
sucli  size  and  weight. 

Once,  in  an  overflow  in  the  Arkansas  bottom,  I  found 
three  cubs  floating  on  a  log,  too  small  to  have  teeth  large 
enough  to  bite.  I  supposed  they  belonged  to  two  mothers, 
since  I  had  never  before  found  more  than  two  following  the 
dam. 

The  Black  Bear  is  an  omnivorous  animal.  When  pressed 
by  hunger,  it  will  eat  anything  that  is  edible.  It  hibernates 
during  a  part  of  the  winter;  that  is,  if  fat,  it  seeks  caves  or 
hollow  trees  in  which  to  lie — sometime  in  the  month  of 
December,  in  southern  latitudes,  earlier  in  more  nortliern — 
until  the  warmth  of  spring  makes  it  come  out  in  quest  of 
food.  During  all  this  time,  it  lies  almost  dormant,  sucking 
its  feet  like  the  Opossum  and  Raccoon,  as  it  were  to  exist  off 
its  own  fat. 

In  the  wide  bottoms  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  its 
many  tributaries,  the  male  Bear  will  hibernate  under  large 
piles  of  cane,  which,  like  a  hog,  it  gathers  in  some  dense 
cane-brake,  where  it  is  not  likely  to  be  disturbed. 

AYlien  America  was  discovered,  no  animal  of  its  kind 
was  more  numerous  than  the  Black  Bear,  from  Canada  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the 
great  plains  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Range.  It  fre- 
quented all  the  mountains,  the  thickets  of  the  vast  plains, 
and  every  creek,  river,  and  bayou  bottom.  At  the  present 
time,  its  habitat  is  confined  to  some  x>ortions  of  the  various 
ranges  of  mountains  south  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  the 
Great  Lakes,  and,  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  to  parts  of 
those  portions  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  its  tributaries 
which  are  yet  unsettled,  and  where  it  has  been  able  to 
escape  destruction  from  hunters.  Some  few  are  yet  found  in 
the  dense  thickets  of  the  Colorado,  Trinity,  and  Brazos 
Rivers. 

Still-hunting  was  the  mode  of  killing  the  Bear  by  the 
early  settlers  of  the  American  Colonies.  Except  in  the 
Alleghany  and  Blue  Ridge  Mountains,  but  few  Bears  would 
now  be  killed  by  a  still-hunter.     In  fact,  they  have  become 


THE   15LACK.BEAK.  249 

SO  scarce  that  it  requires  not  only  a  good  pack  of  Bear-dogs, 
but  the  very  best  start-dogs,  to  enable  the  Bear-hunter  to  be 
successful. 

Forty-nine  years  have  passed  since  I  went  on  my  first 
camp-hunt,  in  search  of  Bear,  as  a  protege  under  the  most 
successful  Bear-hunter  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains, 
Though  no  Bears  were  killed,  and  I  saw  no  Bears,  yet  I 
acquired  a  vast  fund  of  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the 
Bear,  which  subsequently  proved  of  great  advantage  to 
me  while  hunting  in  the  Far  West. 

To  give  the  reader  a  correct  insight  into  the  mysteries  of 
the  Bear-chase,  the  habits,  and  modes  of  pursuing  the  Bear, 
I  will  relate  what  I  learned  from  this  noted  hunter. 

My  room-mate  at  Washington  College,  Virginia,  was  a 
son  of  this  old  hunter.  By  special  request  of  my  father,  I 
was  granted  a  week's  furlough  to  go  on  this  hunt.  Our 
camp  was  pitched  in  a  part  of  the  mountains  bordering  on 
the  Cheat  River,  a  locality  famous  for  its  many  Bears  and 
Panthers.  A  good,  dry  place  was  found  under  a  large, 
shelving  rock,  and  close  at  hand  flowed  a  clear,  rippling 
brook,  fringed  with  ivy  and  laurel-bushes. 

After  we  had  eaten  our  supper,  I  begged  the  old  hunter 
to  tell  us  some  of  his  escapes  from  the  she-Bears  whose 
cubs  he  had  taken  while  the  mothers  were  absent,  but 
which  had  returned  in  time  to  pursue  him. 

"Boys,"  said  he,  "it  were  best  I  should  tell  you  how  to 
still-hunt,  and  instruct  you  as  to  what  you  should  do  pro- 
vided we  find  a  Bear  to-morrow.  Probably  we  shall  go  by 
a  cave  where  I  robbed  a  she-Bear  of  her  culjs,  and  got  this 
scar,  that  I  shall  carry  to  my  grave,  in  a  hand-to-hand 
fight  with  her. 

' '  Bears  are  exceedingly  fond  of  all  kinds  of  fruits  and 
nuts,  especially  grai)es  and  chestnuts.  As  soon  as  the 
spring  opens,  the  female  takes  out  her  cubs  and  goes  feed- 
ing with  them  earl 3^  in  the  morning.  After  she  has  got  her 
breakfast,  she  either  goes  back  to  the  place  where  she 
brought  forth  her  young,  or  to  some  thicket,  there  to  lie 
until  late  in  the  evening.     The  best  time  to  hunt  them 


250  BIG  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

is  early  in  the  morning,  or  a  short  time  before  sundown. 
You  must  make  a  deadly  shot,  or  you  will  not  get  that 
Bear,  if  shot  near  nij^lit.  If  the  old  she-Bear  has  to  go  some 
distance  to  feed,  she  leaves  her  cubs  in  their  den,  and  on  her 
return  it  is  likely  you  may  get  a  shot.  You  may  find  her 
while  she  is  tearing  to  pieces  rotten  logs  in  search  of  insects. 

"If  her  cubs  are  with  her,  the  chances  to  get  a  good 
shot  are  better  than  if  she  is  alone.  The  cubs  are  as  play- 
ful as  kittens,  and  while  they  are  tumbling  over  one 
another,  and  grabbing  at  a  bug  or  worm  that  the  mother 
has  found,  she  is  not  so  cautious  in  looking  out  for  a 
hunter.  If  she  is  alone,  there  is  no  animal  I  know  that 
is  more  timid  and  suspecting.  I  have  seen  them  rolling 
over  heavy  logs,  tearing  them  to  pieces,  and  almost  at 
every  moment  looking  around  to  see  if  anyone  was 
approaching.  At  the  least  noise  they  hear,  they  rear 
with  their  fore  feet  on  the  log,  and  listen  intently,  and  then, 
if  the  alarm  prove  false,  resume  their  search — it  was  only 
a  Deer  passing,  too  far  away  to  be  molested  by  them,  but 
the  noise  was  not  that  of  man.  Perhaps  it  was  made  by 
hogs  rooting  and  grunting, 

''How  changed  is  everything!  Tliey  rear  again  ujDon 
the  log,  turn  their  heads  in  every  direction,  to  locate  the 
precise  spot  where  the  hogs  are  feeding.  They  instinctively 
know  how  far  off  it  is — they  have  located  them.  Now 
they  step  along  so  softly  that  it  is  difficult  to  hear  the  least 
sound  of  their  feet;  now  they  stop  and  listen  again.  See 
them  crouching  to  the  ground!  They  have  discovered  that 
the  hogs  are  approaching,  and  feeding  toward  them. 
They  have  ajitproached  sufficiently  near,  and,  with  a  bound, 
they  rush  forward  and  seize  the  largest. 

"The  Bear  never  makes  a  mistake  as  to  the  largest  and 
fattest  hog.  No  sooner  is  the  hog  caught  than  the  Bear 
begins  tearing  and  eating  the  squealing  victim,  regardless 
of  how  much  it  squeals,  until  it  has  gorged  as  long  as  it  is 
possible  to  eat,  when  it  ambles  slowly  away  to  some  dense 
thicket,  there  to  lie  down  until  hunger  compels  it  to  return 
to  the  remains  of  the  ho":. 


THE   BLACK   BEAR.  251 

'  *  The  Bear  does  not  keep  watch,  like  the  Panther,  over 
its  prey,  to  prevent  other  animals  from  eating  or  dragging 
it  away.  The  Panther  that  has  caught  a  Deer,  after  eating 
as  much  as  it  w^ants,  usually  seeks  some  tree  near  by,  and 
there,  extended  at  full  length  on  a  limb,  keeps  a  close 
watch  of  the  carcass,  which  it  has  covered  with  leaves,  to 
conceal  it  from  buzzards  and  crows. 

'•Again,  I  have  seen  the  Bear  return  to  the  log,  after 
listening  intently,  and  renew  its  search  for  insects,  when  I 
would  imitate  the  bleats  of  a  fawn  when  seized  by  some 
voracious  animal.  No  more  listening  now;  but  onward, 
with  terrific  growls,  it  would  rush  to  the  spot,  right  up 
to  the  muzzle  of  the  gun,  to  be  stopped  only  by  a  well-" 
directed  shot.  I  am  inclined  to  the  belief  that  were  the 
gun  to  miss  fire,  the  Bear  would,  in  such  a  case,  attack  the 
hunter. 

"Again,  I  have,  after  the  Bear  had  returned  to- its  feed- 
ing, stepped  a  few  steps  on  the  dry  leaves  and  twigs.  There 
was  no  mistaking  that  ominous  sound;  no  listening,  no 
stopping;  but,  as  fast  as  its  legs  could  take  it,  through 
brush,  briers,  vines,  or  cane,  it  dashed,  as  if  life  and  death 
dej)ended  on  its  movements,  and  would  not  stop  until  it 
had  reached  its  place  of  safety.  It  recognized  the  sound  as 
well  as  if  it  had  seen  the  hunter. 

"After  the  Bear  leaves  its  winter  quarters,  it  eats  what- 
ever it  may  find,  not  only  insects,  but  young  cane,  craw- 
fish, roots  that  are  edible,  mast  of  all  kinds,  hogs,  the  young 
of  cows  and  Deer,  sheep,  carcasses  of  animals  that  have 
recently  died — if  very  hungry,  not  disdaining  a  meal  from  a 
putrid  carcass. 

"The  Black  Bear  is  exceedingly  fond  of  honey,  and 
rarely  fails  to  get  the  honey  when  it  has  found  a  bee-tree. 
After  night,  it  will  leave  the  mountains  and  go  to  the 
farms  in  search  of  food.  Should  he  find  a  hive  of  bees,  he 
will  boldly  carry  it  off,  and,  knocking  it  to  pieces,  eat  the 
honey,  regardless  of  the  stings  of  the  whole  colonj^  On 
several  occasions,  I  have  caught  them  in  large  Bear- trails, 
using  honey  as  a  bait.     Those  traps  were  made  of  logs,  in  the 


252  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

shape  of  a  pen,  with  a  falling  top,  all  so  strongly  put 
together  that  the  animal  could  not  break  out. 

"When  I  have  found  them  ravaging  a  corn-field,  I 
have  sometimes  set  a  musket  to  kill  them  as  they  got 
over  the  fence.  It  is  a  Bear's  habit  to  go  into  a  field  and 
return  at  the  same  place.  A  knowledge  of  this  enables  the 
hunter  to  use  either  the  gun  or  a  large  steel-trap,  fastened 
with  a  heavy  log-chain  to  a  log.  When  caught,  its  great 
strength  enables  it  to  get  out  of  the  field  and  drag  the  log 
to  some  distance  in  the  forest,  until  exhausted.  The  hunter 
follows  the  trail,  and  shoots  it  the  next  morning,  without 
any  danger  to  himself. 

"  Liiter  in  summer,  w^hen  the  lakes  or  bottoms  of  the 
large  southern  rivers  have  dried  dow^n  to  shallow  depths, 
the  Bear  takes  to  them,  and,  by  muddying  the  water,  kills 
with  its  fore  paws  the  fish  that  rise  to  the  top.  They  are 
remarkably  fond  of  fish,  and  will  not  eat  a  spoiled  fish  as 
long  as  they  can  catch  the  live  ones, 

"As  soon  as  the  mast  begins  falling,  they  cease  fishing, 
and  take  to  the  mast.  The  white-oak  acorn  is  a  favorite 
food.  I  have  killed  many  a  Bear  while  '  lopjnng. '  This  is 
an  expression  used  by  hunters  to  denote  that  the  Bear  has 
climbed  a  tree  loaded  with  acorns,  and  is  breaking  down 
the  limbs.  The  hunter  hears  the  noise,  and,  by  cautious 
creeping,  gets  sufficiently  near  to  shoot  the  Bear  before  he 
is  discovered.  Should  the  Bear  hear  him,  he  will  fall  to  the 
ground,  and  run  off,  apparently  not  the  least  hurt  by  the 
fall. 

"As  soon  as  the  chestnuts  ripen,  is  the  best  time  for  the 
still-hunter.  This  is  the  best  season  for  finding  Bears  in 
search  of  chestnuts;  and  not  far  from  us  are  a  number  of 
chestnut-trees,  where  I  am  in  hoi)es  of  finding  some  Bears 
'  lopping'  to-morrow  morning.  You  boys  go  to  sleep  now, 
for  long  before  the  stars  disappear  I  will  rouse  you  to  eat 
your  breakfast,  and  then  to  follow  me,  as  silent  as  death 
when  we  approach  the  trees.  As  we  go  along,  I  will  show 
you  by  what  marks  and  signs  I  manage  to  find  Bears  when 
still-hunting.'' 


THE  BLACK  BEAR.  253 

According  to  his  x)romise,  we  were  roused,  and  in  Indian 
file  we  accompanied  liim.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough 
to  see,  the  old  hunter  pointed  to  a  rotten  log  torn  to  pieces, 
and  the  ground  rooted  up  as  if  done  by  hogs.  I  said  to 
him  that  I  thouglit  it  was  hogs. 

"  Look  here,"  said  he;  "  don't  you  see  that  broad  track 
sunk  in  the  soft  ground?    Is  that  like  a  hog's  track?  " 

"No,"  said  I;  "  that  is  a  nigger's  track.  Some  nigger 
has  been  here  digging  worms  to  catch  fish." 

"  AYrong  again.  Look!  you  don't  see  the  long,  promi- 
nent heel  and  broad  bottom,  like  a  negro  or  a  human  being. 
Can't  you  see  the  marks  of  the  claws?  The  nigger's  feet 
have  no  claws.  No,  that  is  Bear-sign;  and  it  is  a  big  Bear. 
It  did  this  work  last  night.  Be  silent,  and  perhajDs  we  may 
find  it  'lopping'.  " 

As  we  silently. followed,  the  old  hunter  pointed  to  a  beech- 
tree  which  a  Bear  had  climbed,  and  the  scratches  looked 
as  if  recently  made.  Soon  I  saw  him  pointing  to  leaves 
turned  over.  Going  to  the  place,  he  scraped  away  the 
leaves,  examined  closely,  and  whispered,  "A  Bear  did  that." 

Ere  long,  we  went  by  a  chestnut- tree,  and  he  j)ointed  to 
a  pile  of  burs  near  the  foot  of  the  tree,  where  a  Bear  had 
gathered  the  chestnuts  and  eaten  them  at  his  leisure.  This 
pile  he  examined  closely,  and  then  said  it  had  been  done 
several  days  before,  but  it  i^roved  to  him  that  the  Bears 
were  now  "lopping." 

Presently  he  stopped.  It  was  now  light  enough  to  see 
quite  i)lainly.  He  listened  for  some  time;  then,  pointing  in 
a  certain  direction,  whispered:  "  It  is  a  Bear;  he  is  lopping 
about  a  quarter  from  us.  Don't  say  a  word;  be  sure  not  to 
cough  or  sneeze,  but  follow  in  my  tracks,  and,  above  all, 
don't  break  a  dry  twig — if  you  do,  the  Bear  is  lost  to  us. 
Should  I  get  close  enough  to  shoot,  both  of  you  run  up  to 
the  tree,  to  prevent  him  from  coming  down.  Should  it  fall, 
both  fire  into  it,  aiming  behind  the  shoukler.  I  will  be  up 
with  you,  and  before  it  can  rise  I  will  use  my  knife." 

Unfortunately,  before  we  got  in  shooting  distance,  my 
room-mate,  who  had  caught  cold,  was  compelled  to  cough. 


254  BIO   GAME   OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

and  that  lost  lis  the  Bear.  We  heard  it  fall  out  of  the  tree 
and  run.  "No  use  to  follow,"  remarked  the  old  hunter. 
"We  must  either  seek  a  different  portion  of  the  mountains 
to  find  another  Bear,  or  turn  our  attention  to  killing  some 
Deer  and  turkeys.  This  Bear  will  tell  all  the  Bears  in  its 
range  about  us,  and  before  to-morrow  morning  there  will 
not  be  a  Bear  in  five  miles  of  this  place." 

Tlius  I  lost  the  sight  of  a  wild  Bear,  and  did  not  see  one 
until  1844  found  me  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississipiji  River, 
where  it  was  easier  to  kill  a  Bear  than  to  find  a  squirrel  at 
the  place  where  I  am  now  living.  But  I  treasured  up  the 
many  remarks  of  the  old  hunter  as  regards  still-hunting. 

Coming  to  the  West,  I  found  some  Bear-hunters  employ- 
ing dogs  to  find  and  bring  the  Bears  to  bay.  It  was 
much  easier,  and  far  more  interesting,  to  use  a  pack  ot 
good  Bear-dogs  than  to  go  tramping  through  thick  forests 
in  search  of  sign,  or  to  lie  in  wait  to  kill  one  that  has 
taken  to  the  corn-field,  or  is  going  to  the  hog-pen  to  carry 
off  a  fat  porker. 

There  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  the  Black  Bear's 
proper  domain  is  a  cold  country,  and  that  it  grows  to  a 
much  larger  size  in  the  Alleghany  and  Blue  Ridge  Mount 
ains  than  it  attains  in  the  thickets  of  the  Brazos  River,  pro- 
vided it  lives  a  life  undisturbed  by  hunters  and  the  inroads 
of  civilization. 

The  cubs  follow  their  mother  from  the  time  she  leads 
them  from  their  winter  quarters  until  she  hibernates  the 
following  winter.  The  mother  frequently  returns  to  the 
place  where  she  brought  forth  her  young,  to  rear  another 
litter.  The  yearling  cubs  seek  a  hibernation  not  far  from 
the  mother.  The  second  year,  the  cubs  keep  together,  and 
do  not  forget  tlieir  mother.  I  have  often  seen  the  mother 
with  her  two  small  cubs  and  her  cubs  of  the  year  before 
feeding  together  in  sloughs,  in  search  of  craw-fish  and  suc- 
culent roots.  When  three  years  old,  the  female  usually 
becomes  a  mother,  and  lives  by  herself,  while  the  male 
wanders  to  another  place,  apparently  forgetful  of  its 
nuitlicr  oi'  sister. 


THE  BLACK   BEAR.  255 

Only  once  in  my  experience  in  Bear-hunting,  in  the 
West,  did  I  witness  a  mating  of  Bears.  This  occurred  on 
Cypress  Creek,  in  Arkansas,  in  the  month  of  July.  While 
out  watching  for  an  Otter  in  the  creek,  my  attention  was 
attracted,  by  growling,  to  a  jjart  of  the  creek  bottom  where 
the  woods  were  thick,  with  many  large  beech-trees  fring- 
ing the  banks  of  the  creek.  I  recognized  the  noise,  and 
silently  made  my  way  to  the  place  whence  it  came.  The 
sun  was  just  rising.  I  discovered  four  large  Bears,  and  one 
not  so  large,  whicli  I  knew  to  be  a  female.  The  four  males 
were  growling,  knocking  one  another  with  their  paws,  while 
the  female  stood  a  few  steps  away,  as  unconcerned  as  it  is 
possible  to  imagine,  yet  slyly  taking  in,  with  one  eye  askant, 
the  maneuvers  of  the  males.  For  several  minutes,  I  saw  the 
males  testing  their  strength  and  ability  by  rearing  as  high 
as  their  fore  paws  could  reach  on  the  body  of  a  gigantic 
beech,  and  then  making  long  and  deep  scratches  upon  it. 
Each  in  turn  would  do  this.  As  soon  as  one  made  the  trial, 
he  would  scratch  back  with  his  hind  feet.  Just  as  dogs  do 
when  meeting  another  strange  dog.  The  female  commenced 
ambling  off,  satisfied,  as  I  sui,)posed,  which  one  was  the 
superior,  and  to  wliicli  she  would  transfer  her  love. 

Though  it  was  not  the  season  to  kill  a  Bear,  yet  the  very 
black,  glossy  appearance  of  the  largest  male  made  me  envy 
his  Heece.  I  wanted  it  for  a  rug  in  my  bachelor  liome. 
Before  this  old  fellow  could  get  out  of  sight,  a  well-directed 
shot  from  my  double-barrel  rifle  dropped  him  dead  in  his 
tracks.  The  skin  I  kept  for  several  years,  until  the  moths 
destroyed  it. 

I  have  learned  from  experienced  Bear-hunters  that  they 
have  often  found  cypress-trees  in  sloughs  with  deep 
scratches,  made  by  male  Bears  in  the  mating-season,  after 
gnawing  the  tree  with  their  teeth.  A  famous  Bear-hunter, 
now  living  near  me,  informed  me  that  on  the  Xeenock  Lakes 
of  Bossier  Parish,  around  whicli  in  former  times  was  an 
almost  imx)enetrable  cane-brake,  he  saw  a  cypress-tree  that 
had  been  gnawed  so  much  by  Bears  as  eventually  to  kill 
the  tree.     He  informed  me  that  the  Coddo  Indians  told  him 


266  BIG   GAME  OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

that  this  tree  was  gnawed  in  the  mating-season,  they  claim- 
ing to  liave  seen  the  Bears  at  it,  and  that  tlie  female  granted 
her  favors  to  the  Bear  that  gnawed  the  highest. 

There  is  no  precise  time  for  the  Bears  to  hibernate.  An 
old  Bear  will  not  hibernate  until  it  is  fat,  or  the  weather 
becomes  veiy  cold.  I  have  found  Bears  feeding  or  travel- 
ing as  late  as  the  middle  of  January,  in  the  Southern  States, 
and  I  have  found  fat,  old  Bears  bedded  under  piles  of  cane 
as  early  as  the  middle  of  November. 

In  the  early  '40s,  the  time  I  came  to  the  "West  and  set- 
tled in  Mississipj)i,  the  Bear-hunters  met  with  no  difficulty 
in  killing  Bears  by  still-hunting.  In  fact,  this  was  the  best 
mode  for  those  who  made  it  their  occupation,  either  for 
food  or  profit.  The  settlers  in  the  wide  bottoms  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  the  St.  Francis,  White,  Arkansas,  and  Ouachita 
Rivers,  of  Arkansas;  the  Yazoo,  Sunflower,  and  Big  Black, 
of  Mississippi;  the  Red  River,  of  Louisiana,  and  Sabine, 
Neclies,  Trinit}^,  Brazos,  and  Colorado,  of  Texas,  pre- 
ferred to  still -hunt  the  Bear.  Hunting  with  dogs  made  the 
Bears  more  timid,  and  drove  them  farther  back  into  the 
denser  thickets. 

The  Bear-hunter  saved  the  hams  and  shoulders  for  his 
family,  or  sold  to  trading-boats  that  were  found  on  all  these 
rivers.  The  skins  were  dried  and  sold,  but  the  sides  and 
all  the  fat  he  could  collect  from  the  entrails  were  tried  out 
and  the  oil  brought  a  high  price,  in  those  early  days.  The  fat 
of  the  Bear,  like  that  of  the  Opossum,  has  not  that  greasy, 
fatty  taste  of  hog's  fat,  but  is  very  palatable,  and  a  great 
quantity  can  be  eaten  without  producing  nausea  of  the 
stomach. 

But  few  Bear-hunters  used  dogs  for  hunting  Bear  in 
those  early  times — only  in  cases  where  one  hunted  more 
from  the  love  of  it,  and  the  intense  excitement  it  jiroduced, 
than  for  pecuniary  profit.  To  me  there  is  greater  excite- 
ment in  hunting  Bear  with  dogs  than  in  an}^  other  method, 
and  so  it  is  with  many  others. 

There  is  as  much  difl'erence  in  the  pleasure  and  excite- 
ment of  hunting  Bear  and   Deer  with  dogs,  and  in  that 


THE   BLACK   BEAR.       '  257 

derived  from  still-hunting,  as  in  running  Foxes  with  a  fine 
pack  of  hounds,  and  in  stealing  on  a  Fox  to  shoot  it  before 
it  gets  to  its  hole  in  the  ground. 

In  this  climate,  Bear  usually  hibernate  some  three  months 
of  the  winter.  When  pursued  by  dogs,  it  is  very  difficult 
to  make  a  poor  Bear  take  a  tree,  or  be  brought  to  bay 
by  the  very  best  team  of  dogs.  If  very  fat,  it  dashes,  when 
started,  through  the  densest  thickets  it  can  find,  with  a  noise 
equal  to  that  of  a  horse-cart  when  the  horse  runs  away  with 
it,  snapping  the  cane,  vines,  and  briers  in  its  way,  like  pipe- 
stems;  turns  not  a  line  from  a  straight  course,  unless  meet- 
ing with  some  impediment  it  can  not  surmount,  and  does  not 
stop  until  it  reaches  the  densest  part  of  the  thicket,  where  it 
will  stand  to  bay  behind  a  clay-root,  until  the  pack  of  dogs 
is  wearied  out,  or  a  hunter  arrives  to  kill  it. 

When  his  dogs  have  either  treed  or  brought  a  Bear  to 
bay,  an  old  Bear-hunter  uses  a  great  deal  of  caution,  and 
puts  in  practice  the  very  best  mode  of  stalking  the  Bear. 
He  knows  that  if  the  Bear  should  either  hear  or  smell  him, 
it  will  fall  out  of  the  tree  and  run  off,  or  leave  the  clay-root 
and  make  off  to  another  thicket.  Hence,  to  get  in  shooting 
distance  of  a  Bear  at  bay,  he  must  be  certain  of  the  direc- 
tion of  the  wind,  and  take  that  aj)proach  to  the  Bear  with 
the  wind  blowing  from  the  Bear  to  him.  He  must  cut  every 
vine  and  stalk  of  cane  in  his  way,  make  not  the  slightest 
noise  to  give  the  animal  the  least  intimation  of  his  a^^proach, 
until  he  is  up  sufficiently  near  to  use  his  knife,  if  his  team 
of  dogs  are  able  to  pull  the  Bear  down  for  a  moment,  and  if 
not,  then  to  make  a  sure  and  fatal  shot  with  his  gun  or  ritle. 

A  favorite  weapon  of  mine,  the  last  ten  years  that  I 
hunted  Bear,  was  a  JS'o.  10  double-baiTel  Greener  gun,  of 
ten  pounds  weight,  which  I  loaded  with  a  patched  ball  to 
fit  the  barrels.  I  found  this  weapon  shot,  at  short  range,  as 
accurately  as  the  best  of  rifles.  This  gave  me  the  advan- 
tage of  a  double  shot.  AVith  one  barrel,  generally,  T  could 
knock  the  Bear  down,  and  before  it  could  rise  to  kill  my 
dogs,  I  could  put  the  muzzle  against  the  head,  or  its  side, 
and  a  second  shot  produced  instant  death.     To  make  assur- 

17 


258  BIO  gamp:  of  north  America. 

ance  doubly  sure,  I  followed  it  up  with  the  use  of  my  cane- 
knife. 

I  have  hunted  with  several  packs  of  Bear-dogs  owned  by 
famous  Bear-hunters,  These  packs  generally  consist  of 
from  twenty  to  thirty  dogs — a  team  sufficient  to  pull  a  big 
Bear  down  for  an  instant,  and  only  an  instant,  when,  if  not 
killed  by  the  knife  or  gun,  it  would  rise,  shake  off  the  dogs 
as  a  huge  Mastiff  would  a  Fice,  and  then  several  of  the 
pack  would  be  killed  in  less  time  than  I  employ  in  writing 
this  sentence.  A  trained  team  of  Bear-dogs  will  not  rush 
on  a  large  Bear  to  pull  it  down  until  the  hunter  gets  up  to 
them,  and  with  yells  urges  them  on  the  growling,  snapping, 
enraged  brute.  The  best  Bear-dogs  I  ever  owned  or  hunted 
with  were  pure  thorough-bred  black-and-tan  Deer-hounds. 
They  proved  the  most  reliable  for  striking  cold  trails,  and 
the  very  best  fighters.  I  generally  crossed  upon  the  Scottish 
Lurcher  the  black-and-tan  Hound,  and  often  this  cross  upon 
a  good  fighting  cur,  for  the  bulk  of  the  team.  The  Collie 
crossed  on  the  Hound  made  a  splendid  fighter. 

Bull-dogs  and  Bull-terriers  were  of  no  account.  I  have 
seen  powerful  Bull-dogs  turn  tail  and  run  home  at  the  sight 
of  an  enraged  Bear.  A  cross  of  the  Bull-dog  on  a  cur  or 
Hound  alwa^^s  residted  in  the  death  of  the  dog.  The  hunt- 
ers wanted  dogs,  not  to  hold  on,  like  Bull-terriers,  but,  on 
the  order  of  the  Greyhound  or  Wolf-hound,  to  snap  and 
spring  back,  and  never  to  give  up  fighting  in  that  manner 
until  the  Bear  was  killed, 

I  have  known  a  Hound  bitch  to  fight  a  Bear  for  forty- 
eight  hours,  until  a  hunter  came  to  her  assistance  and 
killed  the  Bear.  It  was  over  thirty  miles  from  where  the 
Bear  was  started  to  where  it  was  killed.  No  other  breed  of 
dogs  would  have  followed  a  Bear  so  long. 

The  best  gun  that  the  early  Bear-hunters  of  my  time 
used  was  a  first-class  double-barrel  shotgun,  No.  12  in 
bore,  with  thick  baiTels,  using  a  ball  that  fitted  them,  to  be 
patched  as  in  a  smooth-bore  rifle. 

A  cane-knife,  from  eighteen  to  twenty  inches  long,  of  the 
best  metal,  and  weighing  not  less  than  four  to  five  jiounds, 


THE   BLACK   BEAR.  259 

was  a  "oade  mecum — an  indispensable  weajjon  for  a  Bear- 
hunter.  The  double-barrel  gun  (all  were  muzzle-loaders  in 
those  days)  might  snap,  but  there  was  no  discount  on  a  good 
cane-knife — so  called,  because  it  was  used  for  cutting  cane. 

When  possible,  a  double-barrel  rifle  was  used.  Not 
many  hunters  could  procure  a  first-class  double-barrel  rifle. 
I  found  the  majority  of  hunters  using  the  Miss  Yager.  My 
own  weapons  were  a  Manton  double-barrel  muzzle-loading 
shotgun.  No.  12,  thirty-two  inches  long,  weighing  nine 
l^ounds,  and  a  Wesley  Richards  double-barrel  rifle,  carry- 
ing forty  balls  to  the  pound,  thirty  inches  long,  and  weigh- 
ing ten  pounds.  I  used  a  knife,  a  genuine  bowie,  with  an 
eighteen-inch  blade. 

At  this  time,  my  weapons  would  be  a  Winchester  Express 
rifle,  a  Colt's  revolver  (army  size),  and  a  bowie-knife.  The 
rapid  destruction  of  the  big  game  of  America  is  due  to  that 
powerful  weapon,  the  Winchester  Express.  During  the  big 
overflows  of  the  last  fifteen  years,  the  Black  Bears  have  been 
nearly  exterminated  by  hunters  in  canoes  threading  the 
mazes  of  the  Mississippi  bottoms  and  its  big  tributaries. 
Their  victims  were  perched  in  trees,  which  they  could  see 
a  long  way  off,  and  canoe-loads  were  slaughtered  by  this 
deadly  weapon  in  a  day. 

The  dogs  I  should  recommend  to  the  novice,  in  getting 
together  a  pack  for  Bear-hunting,  would  be,  flrst,  the  gen- 
uine thorough-bred  black-and-tan  Deer-hound.  It  is  the 
best  fighter,  the  best  "  stick-to-him "  dog  I  ever  hunted 
with,  and  decidedly  the  coldest  trailer.  I  would  want 
some  half-dozen  of  these,  and  at  least  four  of  them  bitches. 
I  have  found  the  bitch  the  best  trailer,  the  best  fighter, 
and  the  best  stayer.  I  had  a  bitch  that  once  followed  a 
Bear  for  forty  hours,  until  some  hunter  killed  the  Bear — 
how  much  longer  she  would  have  followed  is  idle  to  say. 

Having  secured  the  hounds,  I  would  urge  the  hunter  to 
get  several  Scotch  Lurchers,  to  cross  ujpon  his  black-and- 
tans.  Next,  about  a  dozen  of  the  best  curs  and  shaggy- 
coated  mongrels  that  he  could  secure,  and  especially  two  or 
three  genuine  wire-haired  Scotch-terriers.     These  last  are 


260  BIG   (JAME   OF   NORTH    AMEKU'A. 

essential  in  very  dense  cane-brakes.  They  can  get  under 
the  cane  and  i^inch  a  Bear  so  tight  that  it  is  forced  to  tree 
or  bay. 

With  such  a  pack,  and  one  reliable  start-dog,  the  young 
Bear-hunter  can  yet  find  good  sport  in  Coahoma  and  Boli- 
var Counties,  Mississippi,  Ashley  County,  Arkansas,  and 
along  the  White  and  St.  PVancis  Rivers,  A  few  Bears  are 
yet  to  be  found  along  the  Ouachita,  Red,  Trinity,  and 
Brazos  Rivers.  Occasionally  a  Bear  is  found  crossing  the 
dividing  ridges  between  these  rivers.  Sometimes  the  Texas 
cowboy  has  the  pleasure  of  roping  one,  crossing  a  prairie 
from  one  river  bottom  to  another. 

Last  summer  I  discovered  the  tracks  of  an  old  she -Bear 
and  her  two  cubs,  that  had  been  hshing  in  a  lake  in  the  Red 
River  bottom,  in  Red  River  Parish.  Several  years  have 
passed  since  any  were  seen  in  that  parish  before,  and 
undoubtedly  these  wandered  from  the  Sabine  River,  in 
Texas,  across  the  hills  to  Red  River. 

In  regard  to  still-hunting  the  Black  Bear,  having  tested 
both  modes  of  hunting,  I.can  only  give  my  own  experience. 
Right  here  1  would  say,  that  it  would  be  at  this  time  a  rare 
accident  for  a  still -hunter  to  find  a  Bear  in  our  southern 
country,  in  this  way,  except  in  overflows. 

In  early  times,  when  Bears  were  numerous,  the  still- 
hunter  could  watch  certain  places  where  the  Bears  crossed 
from  one  thicket  or  cane-brake  to  another — it  being  their 
habit,  like  Deer,  to  use  the  same  points  at  which  to  cross- - 
and  get  a  shot  some  time  during  the  day.  Again,  he  might 
find  a  ''stepping-place,"  which  I  will  later  describe,  and 
get  a  shot.  Or  he  might  succeed  in  stalking  one  while  feed- 
ing on  the  pecan-mast,  or  water-oak  acorns.  Should  he 
desire  onlv  to  kill  a  Bear  rava^in":  the  corn-fields  in  the 
roasting-ear  stage,  by  watching  the  gap  where  they  crossed 
the  fence,  the  chances  for  a  shot  would  be  good.  At  that 
season  tlie  Bears  are  too  X)Oor  to  be  eaten.  Though  this  is 
interesting,  yet  it  is  only  cold-blooded  assassination. 

llow  can  it  compare  with  the  fierce  baying  of  a  noble 
l>ack  of  dogs,  the  angry  growls  of  the  enraged  Bear,  with 


THE   BLACK   BEAR.  261 

wide-extended  mouth,  head  in  constant  movement,  now 
turning  around  to  snap  the  little  terrier  that  is  pinching  its 
hind  legs,  now  rushing  on  some  liapless  hound  that  has 
ventured  too  close,  which  it  kills  with  a  blow  of  its  fore  j^aw, 
as  it  reaches  out  to  draw  its  victim  to  its  gnashing  teeth, 
for  that  bite,  the  coup  de  grace  that  ends  its  life.  Conscious 
that  its  victim  is  dead,  the  Bear  hurls  the  lifeless  body 
aside,  or  tramples  upon  it  in  the  fierce  struggle,  never  to  be 
touched  by  its  teeth  again.  Now  it  snarls,  growling 
louder,  when  it  suddenly  dashes  on  another  dog.  It  is  the 
hunter  s  favorite.  Perhaps  he  has  approached  just  in  time 
to  hear  the  bones  cracking  to  giblets  in  the  powerful  jaws 
of  the  monster. 

Witness  the  fury  of  the  balance  of  the  pack,  which, 
animated  by  the  j)resence  of  their  master,  at  his  fierce 
shout,  dash  upon  the  brute,  regardless  of  talons  and  teeth, 
tearing  it  down  to  the  ground  in  an  instant,  and,  before  it 
can  rise,  see  that  hunter,  with  rifle  in  left  hand,  his  long, 
gleaming  cane-knife  in  right,  with  the  spring  of  the  Tiger, 
bound  forward  and  bury  the  knife  to  the  hilt  through  the 
heart  of  the  Bear,  and  then  bound  back.  See  the  great 
beast,  the  moment  it  is  struck,  hurl  aside  the  dogs  as  mere 
flies,  and  rising  with  a  roar,  dash  forward  in  the  direction 
whence  the  blow  was  struck,  reckless  of  what  may  be  in  its 
way,  until  it  drops  stone-dead. 

In  all  good  humor,  and  with  due  regard  to  the  tastes  of 
the  still-hunter,  I  would  ask,  can  there  be  any  comparison 
in  killing  a  Bear  in  this  manner  with  that  of  stalking  and 
shooting  it  down  in  cold-blood  ?  One  might  as  well  com- 
pare the  shooting  down  of  an  approaching  enemy,  by  the 
unseen  skirmisher,  with  that  of  the  deadly  conflict  in  a 
hand-to-hand  charge,  either  with  the  glittering  bayonet  or 
the  flashing  broad-sword.  As  to  which  leaves  the  more 
enjoyable  feelings  in  the  human  breast  when  the  struggle 
is  over,  and  comrades  are  seated  around  the  camp-flre, 
there  can  be  but  one  answer. 

As  for  myself,  give  me  the  pack  of  resolute  dogs,  baying 
an  old  male  of  ten  years,  backed  against  a  clay-root,  rather 


262  1U(}   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMERICA. 

than  all  the  still-hunting  ever  done  by  Indian  or  white 
man ! 

Unless  tlie  young  hunter  i)ossesses  great  nerve,  T  would 
caution  him  against  shooting  a  Bear  in  the  head.  Oftener 
than  otherwise  the  animal  is  missed,  or  only  stunned,  and 
theaJmnter  may  lose  his  life,  or  be  fearfully  maimed.  Let 
him  shoot  behind  the  slioulder,  about  two  inches  to  the 
rear,  and  near  the  center  of  the  body.  He  nmst  be  cautious 
in  approaching  the  game.  It  is  best  to  slioot  the  Bear  in  the 
head  as  it  lies  on  the  ground,  lest  it  may  rise  and  kill  him. 

His  chief  object  should  be  to  make  shots  that  shall  pro- 
duce instant  death,  or  such  prostration  of  the  vital  organs 
that  it  can  not  injure  either  himself  or  his  dogs.  He  should 
ever  have  in  view  the  safety  of  both  himself  and  pack. 

Dogs  are  more  apt  to  be  killed  by  wounded  than 
unwounded  Bears.  Hence,  old  Bear-hunters  are  always 
fearful  of  letting  a  novice  get  the  first  shot  at  a  Bear  at 
bay. 

With  the  exception  of  killing  a  Bear  at  bay,  the  next 
most  interesting  and  exciting  hunt  is  in  the  stalking  and 
shooting  one  at  its  "steppings.''  When  a  hunter  has 
found  one  of  those  places,  with  proper  caution  he  can  inva- 
riably get  a  shot;  whether  he  is  successful  dej^ends  on  his 
nerve  and  on  his  being  a  sure  shot. 

It  is  an  interesting  sight  to  see  a  Bear  "stei)ping.'" 
None  but  very  fat  Bears  make  them.  A  week  or  two  before 
going  into  winter  quarters,  the  Bear  selects  some  marshy 
ground,  or  a  slough,  along  the  side  of  which  it  can  make  a 
promenade  night  and  morning  before  bedding.  The  place 
•must  be  soft  enough  to  permit  his  feet  to  sink  at  least  a  foot 
or  more  in  the  mud;  and  his  steps  are  the  same  distance 
both  going  and  returning,  just  as  regular  as  the  steps  of  a 
veteran  sentinel.  After  the  Bear  has  selected  the  place, 
and  stepped  for  some  fifty  to  seventy-five  yards,  he  turns 
and  retraces  the  same  steps  until  satislied. 

Tlie  time  is  either  in  the  morning,  about  daylight,  or 
just  before  sunset.  I  have  found  them  oftener  making  their 
promenade  in  the  moi'iiing  than  in  the  eveuing.     They  seem 


THE   BLACK    BEAR.  263 

to  take  great  delight  in  it.  Only  once  have  I  observed  two 
Bears  at  it  at  the  same  place.  It  seemed  great  fun  to  them 
to  step  immediately  behind  one  another,  the  larger  in  front, 
in  the  same  track,  which  soon  becomes  a  foot  or  more  deep, 
and  presents  the  same  api)earance  of  stepjjings  as  those  of 
a  drove  of  hogs  in  muddy  lanes. 

These  Bears  would  push  one  another  around  as  they  got 
to  the  end  of  the  track,  and  each  would  endeavor  to  be  the 
iirst  to  resume  the  round,  the  foremost  looking  behind  it,  to 
see  what  the  rear  one  was  doing,  several  times  before  it  got 
to  the  beginning-point.  Once  I  saw  them  rear  up  like  two 
dogs  at  play,  with  fore  paws  over  the  other's  shoulders. 

When  a  Bear  conies  to  these  stepping-places,  it  appears 
verj^  timid  -looks  in  every  direction  to  discover  some  ani- 
mal, and  sometimes  crouches  to  the  ground  to  listen  better. 
Then,  if  satisfied  by  hearing  no  noise  and  observing  no 
unusual  object,  it  sniffs  the  wind  in  every  direction,  to 
locate  a  scent,  and  when  entirely  satisfied  that  all  is  right, 
begins  its  promenade.  When  tired,  or  when  it  is  time  to 
seek  its  lair,  it  trudges  slowly  away. 

To  be  successful,  the  hunter  must  be  assured  of  the  side 
on  which  the  Bear  comes  to  its  stei)ping-grounds,  and  then 
be  certain  to  be  there  sufficiently  long  before  the  Bear  will 
come  to  the  place,  not  to  be  scented  by  it.  He  must  be 
cautious  to  ascertain  the  direction  of  the  wind,  and  take 
that  i)osition  on  the  side  of  the  steppings  near  enough  to 
make  a  deadly  shot,  and  yet  not  too  close,  lest  the  Bear 
scent  him.  That  position  should  l)e  near  the  opposite  end 
of  the  stepi)ings  from  which  the  Bear  begins  to  step,  so 
that  he  may  take  advantage  of  the  momentary  halt  that  a 
Bear  makes  as  he  turns  around  to  retrace  his  steps;  and 
with  a  double-barrel  No.  12  hammerless  gun,  grasped  as  if 
in  a  vise,  stock  firndy  pressed  to  shoulder,  forefinger  ready 
to  touch  the  left  trigger  at  that  particular  moment,  and 
with  an  ounce  and  a  quarter  ball,  driven  by  three  and  three- 
fourths  drams  of  powder,  with  a  rising  aim,  about  two  to 
three  inches  back  of  shoulder,  four  inches  below  backbone, 
he  will  assuredly  drop  the  Bear  dead  in  its  tracks;  or,  should 


264  BI«   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

tlie  hunter  prefer  the  riiie,  let  liim  use  a  Winchester  rifle, 
and  an  Express  ball  prepared  for  this  special  work.  Foi 
what  particular  i)urpose  the  Bears  take  these  regular  step- 
inngs,  I  have  never  been  able  to  determine.  I  have  seen 
none  but  very  fat  Bears  at  it. 

A  poor  Bear,  in  the  Southwest,  seldom,  if  ever,  hiber- 
nates. I  have  found  them  feeding  every  month  of  the 
winter.  It  is  the  opinion  of  many  hunters  with  whom  I 
have  conversed  about  the  steppings  made  by  fat  Beai-s,  that 
it  was  done  for  the  purjwse  of  i)reparing  their  systems  for 
the  hibernation  of  three  or  more  months. 

It  is  now  only  a  question  of  time,  and  that  very  short, 
when  the  Black  Bear  will  be  exterminated,  unless  some  may 
be  preserved  in  captivity  in  zoological  gardens.  Take  the 
fifty  years  of  my  exjierience  with  Bears — estimate  the  vast 
number  that  existed  in  the  United  States  at  the  beginning 
of  the  year  184(»  with  the  sparse  number  in  1890 — and  one 
may  reasofiably  conjecture  that  forty  years  hence  it  will 
be  almost  impossible  to  find  a  wild  Bear  in  the  same  space 
of  territory.  At  the  present  time,  Bears  are  still  found 
along  the  Appalachian  Range  of  mountains,  in  the  wide 
and  unsettled  parts  of  the  Mississippi  bottoms  and  all  its 
tributaries,  and  also  in  the  Trinity,  Sabine,  and  Brazos 
bottoms.  Right  here  where  I  am  now  living,  twenty-live 
years  since.  Bears  were  abundant;  two  years  since,  two  Bears 
were  killed  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  rivei;  l)ut  now,  I 
firmly  believe,  not  a  Bear  could  be  found  in  a  radius  of  one 
hundred  miles,  their  extermination  being  due  to  the 
advance  of  railroads,  that  caused  the  country  to  be  settled, 
and  to  the  rapid  improvement  in  fire-arms  and  ammuni- 
tion. 

I  append  here  accounts  of  several  hunts  in  which  I 
paiticii)ated  in  my  early  life,  and  wliicii  accounts  I  con- 
tributed to  the  American  Fidd.  some  years  ago,  under  my 
own  initials. 

Solitude  is  moi-e  comj^any  to  me  than  society.  When  T 
want  genuine  couifort,  freedom  from  all  care,  give  me  my 


rHE 


BLACK    BEAR,  265 


office-room,  without  a  human  being  in  sight  or  on  the  prem- 
ises; nothing  around  me,  in  the  forai  of  living  objects,  save 
my  mute  and  faithful  dogs  and  my  handsome  Maltese  cat. 
My  thoughts  are  my  companions,  affording  more  real  enjoy- 
ment, for  the  time,  than  the  society  of  even  my  most  cher- 
ished friends.  There  are  times  when  the  sight  of  a  human 
face  is  i)ositive  misery;  when  spoken  words,  whate'er  their 
import,  grate  harshly  on  the  ear;  when  conversation 
becomes  repulsive,  and  when  I  would  rather  walk  the 
depths  of  some  vast  forest,  alone,  communing  with  Nature 
in  her  varied  garb,  than  listen  to  the  speech  of  the  wisest 
of  philosophers,  or  the  witticisms  of  friends. 

Such  is  my  condition  now— this  cold  December  night — 
as  I  stir  the  fire  and  look  with  deep  regard  on  my  affec- 
tionate dogs — the  liandsome  Beauty,  the  dignified  Black 
Maud,  and  the  frolicsome  Dan' s  Trump — that  are  crowding 
closer  to  the  fire  as  the  cold  wind  howls  through  the 
key -hole,  and  the  rattling  snow  and  sleet  beat  against  the 
window-panes.  The  sash  and  shutters  vibrate,  and,  raising 
the  window  to  close  the  shutters,  the  furious  wind  drives 
into  the  room  a  mass  of  sleety  snow,  and  the  lamp  is  extin- 
guished. I  return  to  the  fire,  and  gazing  u^ion  the  bright, 
glowing  coals,  my  mind  reverts  to  such  a  niglit  just  forty- 
one  years  ago,  when  I  was  lying  under  a  tent  on  the  Oua- 
chita River,  in  Arkansas,  witli  three  boon  companions.  In 
memory  I  go  back  to  the  previous  night,  when  seated  about 
the  hearth-stone  of  one  of  the  most  excellent  ladies  it  was 
my  fortune  ever  to  know — ^no  one  save  her  only  child,  a 
most  ardent  sportsman,  her  niece,  and  myself  being  her 
company.  It  was  a  lovely  night,  just  a  week  before  Christ- 
mas. Mrs.  Candace  Taylor — such  was  the  name  of  this 
lady — broke  the  silence,  as  we  had  sat  for  a  few  minutes 
each  buried  in  thoughts  and  plans  of  the  coming  festivities, 
remarking: 

' '  Brother  Harry  and  his  wife  will  be  here  from  Tennessee 
next  week,  and  I  want  some  Bear-meat  for  my  Christmas 
dinner.  I  presume  they  have  never  eaten  a  piece,  and  I 
want  to  show  them  wliat  good  eating  a  piece  of  fat  Bear- 


266  BKi   GAME   OF   NOUTII    AMERICA. 

meat  affords.    Howell,  my  son,  can't  you  and  Colonel  A 

go  down  to  the  Ouachita  to-morrow,  and,  with  Mr.  Littlejolm 
and  Albert  Williams,  kill  a  Bear  for  me?" 

"  Nothing  would  suit  me  better,"  replied  Howell.  "I 
have  been  thinking  of  it  for  some  time;  and  if  you  and 
Agnes  (that  was  his  Avife's  name)  can  stay  here  alone  for  a 
few  days,  we  will  be  off  to-morrow  morning  just  as  soon  as 

you  can  get  our  eatables   ready.     I  know  Colonel  A 

will  go,  as  he  has  been  talking  for  some  time  of  joining 
me  in  a  Bear-hunt." 

"  You  and  Colonel  A — —  get  ready  to  leave  at  daylight; 
Agnes  and  I  will  order  the  provisions  cooked  to-night.  You 
shall  not  be  delayed  by  us." 

This  settled  the  matter.  I  ordered  my  horse,  rode  to  my 
office,  and  packed  up  everj^thing  necessary  for  me  to  carry 
on  such  a  hunt.  I  cleaned  up  and  put  in  order  my  fine 
double-barrel  Manton,  sharpened  my  cane-knife,  melted  the 
lead  and  ran  a  number  of  bullets  to  fit  the  bore,  cut  the 
patching  out  of  thin  buckskin,  and,  lastly,  filled  my  canteen 
with  the  best  of  old  Bourbon,  to  keep  me  from  catching 
cold;  for,  though  it  was  then  so  warm,  I  anticipated  a  spell 
of  intensely  cold  weather  before  we  should  return. 

The  next  evening  found  the  party  seated  around  tlie 
camp-fire  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ouachita  River,  which 
was  then  low  enough  to  ford  at  the  old  Coleman  Ford.  AVe 
had  two  tents — one  for  the  whites,  the  other  for  the  negroes. 
Howell  Taylor  had  a  large  pack  of  black-and-tan  hountls. 
Parson  Littlejolm  had  severed  good  hounds,  and  some 
jjhaggy  half-curs — excellent  fighters.  Albert  AVilliams  had 
about  a  dozen  mongrels,  all  of  which  were  good  fighters,  and 
one  or  two  good  start-dogs,  Howell  had  one  bitch,  called 
Kate,  that  would  rather  run  a  Bear  than  eat  a  piece  of 
venison.  She  could  trail  up  a  13ear  that  had  passed  two 
days  before,  would  run  it  for  forty  to  fifty  hours  before 
quitting  it,  and  was  equally  good  on  Deer. 

This  sensible  animal  seemed  to  know  just  what  kind  of 
game  her  master  wanted  her  to  run.  At  home,  if  he 
wanted  to  so  "Possum-huntinu',  all  he  had  to  do   was   to 


THE   BLACK   BEAR.  267 

have  the  negroes  who  accompanied  him  show  their  axes  to 
old  Kate.  It  was  enough;  she  was  seen  no  more  until  she 
had  treed  the  'Possum  or  'Coon.  Did  he  want  to  hunt  tur- 
keys, of  which  there  were  numerous  ilocks  in  the  surround- 
ing hills,  he  had  only  to  show  Kate  a  turkey  before  leaving 
the  house,  take  neither  horn  nor  any  other  dog  along,  and 
he  would  be  assured  Kate  ran  nothing  but  a  wild  turkey 
that  day. 

Our  party  were  all  smokers.  Volumes  of  smoke  w^ere  issu- 
ing from  the  door  of  the  tent  as  one  after  another  related 
past  experiences  in  Bear-hunting,  and  thus  we  whiled  away 
the  greater  part  of  the  night.  Littlejohn  was  an  eloquent 
preacher,  who  loved  to  hunt  as  well  as  he  did  to  i^reach; 
Taylor  was  beginning  to  study  for  the  ministry;  Phillips 
was,  I  believe,  a  member  of  the  church,  while  the  only  sinner 
in  the  party  was  myself.  Prayers  were  finally  said,  and  we 
had  just  lain  down  to  sleep,  when  the  sky  darkened,  the 
wind  roared,  and  a  perfect  Texas  ' '  norther ' '  set  in.  Rain 
fell  in  big  drops;  then  it  turned  to  snowing  and  sleeting.  A 
more  sudden  change  I  never  witnessed.  The  shivering  dogs 
crawled  into  the  tents,  and  j)iled  or  cuddled  on  the  bed- 
clothes, in  si)ite  of  all  our  efforts  to  keej)  them  out. 

At  no  period  of  my  life  do  1  remember  a  colder  and  more 
disagreeable  night.  As  to  sleeping,  it  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion until  tired  nature  gave  way,  and  we  sank  into  fitful 
and  unrestful  naps. 

About  the  break  of  day  we  were  roused  by  the  whining 
of  old  Kate.  After  we  found  it  impossible  to  keep  out  the 
dogs,  they  had  been  allowed  to  stay  in  the  tent,  and  the 
flap  had  been  pinned  down  too  tight  for  them  to  get  out. 
Howell  got  up,  and  remarked:  "Some  varmint  must  be 
passing  by,  from  the  signs  old  Kate  is  making,  and  I  believe 
it  is  a  Bear. ' ' 

Opening  the  flap  of  the  tent,  he  let  her  out,  and  gave  her 
a  stirring  "hie  on."  But  she 'needed  none,  for,  with  a 
bound  and  a  note  that  told  us  plainly  it  was  a  Bear,  she 
rushed  down  the  road,  with  all  the  ]3ack  at  her  heels.  Not 
a  hundred  yards  out,  the  whole  pack  gave  tongue.    It  was  an 


268  BIG   (}A.ME   OF   N  OUT  J I    AMERICA. 

exciting  time.  We  were  all  up— negroes  and  whites — in  a 
moment,  as  excited  a  party  as  one  ever  sees  on  a  Bear-hunt. 

Phillii)s,  an  experienced  Bear-hunter,  who  knew  the 
wliole  country,  rushed  out  of  the  tent,  listened  awhile,  and 
then  said: 

''It  is  a  Bear,  sure  enough.  The  w^arm  weather  has 
caught  him  out  of  his  den,  and  he  is  now  making  for  the 
big  cane-brake  at  the  mouth  of  Cypress  Creek.  We  are 
bound  to  kill  that  Bear.  It  is  going  to  be  a  long  and  severe 
chase,  but  we  shall  kill.  Come,  let  us  eat  a  bite;  drink 
plenty  of  coffee,  for  you  will  need  it  all  to-day.  Fill  your 
l^ockets  with  lunch  while  the  negroes  are  saddling  our 
horses,  for  that  Bear  is  to  be  killed,  no  matter  what  occurs. 
Howell,  you  and  Littlejohn  are  better  prejmred  to  die  than 
that  sinner,  the  Colonel,  and  myself;  for  if  you  drown,  you 
will  be  sure  to  go  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds,  w^hile  it  is 
extremely  doubtful  about  us.  Now,  you  must  ride  for  life 
down  the  l)ank  of  the  river,  until  about  eight  miles  below 
here,  to  the  crossing.  You  can  not  ford  it  now^,  but  you 
must  swim  your  horses  across,  and  then,  if  you  are  not 
drowned,  ride  like  Jehu  up  Cypress  Creek  to  the  big  brake. 
You  will  be  in  hearing  of  the  dogs  all  the  time,  and  if  you 
don't  get  a  shot,  the  Bear  will  cross  the  river  to  this  side, 
and  make  for  the  cane-thicket  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little 
Missouri  River.  Perhaj^s  the  Colonel  and  I  may  get  a  shot 
at  it  on  this  side.  If  we  do  not,  it  will  run  the  thicket, 
and  after  awhile  cross  back.  Then  you  can  kill  it  as  it 
swims  back  to  you  on  the  east  side."' 

These  instructions  were  rapidly  given  as  w^e  gulped 
down  our  bi'eakfast.  It  was  an  awful  time  to  be  out  on  a 
Bear-chase,  especially  as  long  a  one  as  we  expected  this 
one  to  be,  for  none  l)ut  a  poor  Bear  woidd  be  out  of  winter 
quarters  at  this  time  of  the  year  and  in  this  stoi'm. 

Even  now,  as  I  sit  peering  into  the  fire,  I  can  see  the  per- 
sons whom  I  have  represented,  as  plainh'  as  if  alive,  and  as 
if  it  were  but  yesterday.  All  have  long  since  passed  from 
earth,  and  have  gone  to  their  long  resting-place,  whither  I 
am  fast  traveling.     I  alone  am  left  to  recall  the  scene,  and 


THE   BLACK   BEAK.  269 

to  muse  over  it.  Sixty-seven  winters  have  whitened  my 
locks,  but  I  am  a  youth  again  this  cold,  bitter  night,  as 
eager  to  join  in  a  chase  of  this  kind  as  I  was  on  that  memo- 
rable morning.  Yet  I  am  sad.  Why  should  I  be  their  sur- 
vivor by  so  many  years  (  I,  whom  if  death  had  taken 
'twere  no  loss  to  the  world  nor  society,  while  those  who 
have  gone  had  so  much  at  stake — so  many  friends  to  whom 
their  departure  was  a  grievous  calamity.  AVhat  would 
have  been  their  feelings  could  each  have  unveiled  the 
future,  and  have  looked  twenty  years  ahead? 

I  close  my  eyes,  and  still  their  faces  are  seen  on  every 
side.  The  wind  still  moans  in  fitful  gusts — now  it  is  a  fierce 
howl — and  louder  rattles  the  sleet  against  the  panes.  Can 
there  be  some  unseen  spirit  near,  even  in  this  room,  who 
calls  back  from  the  murky  shadows  of  the  past  this  weird 
scene,  and  impels  me  to  put  on  paper  the  recollections  of 
that  day?  Or  has  the  soul  of  my  comrade  in  battle,  my 
boon  companion  in  sports  of  the  forest,  come  back  to  earth, 
and  is  he  no\v  holding  silent  communion  with  my  own 
spirit,  almost  emancipated  from  its  dull  clog  of  mortality? 
And  does  he  bid  me  record  the  events  of  this  chase,  the 
most  memorable  of  his  short  life?  Ah!  it  must  be  so. 
Involuntarily  I  seize  the  pen,  to  write  the  thoughts  that 
come  trooping  from  the  reservoir  of  memory,  too  fast  for 
anything  but  an  electric  pen  and  an  eager  hand  to  record. 

Taylor  and  Littlejolin  have  mounted  their  horses,  and 
the  snow-flakes  have  hidden  them  from  view  as  they  hurry, 
with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  to  get  in  hearing  distance  of  the 
pack,  which  has  now  crossed  the  river. 

"Take  your  time,  Colonel,'"  said  Phillips,  "and  eat 
a-plenty.  It  will  be  a  long  way  in  the  night  before  we 
agjdn  see  this  camp-lire,  in  my  opinion.  We  are  going  to 
have  the  severest  chase  ever  seen  in  this  bottom.  I  had  no 
idea  of  starting  a  Bear  until  we  got  to  the  forks  of  the 
rivers.  That  Bear  is  poor;  and  I  believe  it  is  a  barren 
female,  else  the  old  hussy  would  have  been  in  her  bed, 
sucking  her  paws  and  thinking  of  the  babies  she  was  to 
rear.     As  it  is,  she  will  never  take  a  tree   or  go  to  bav. 


270  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

She  will  run  iind  whip  off  the  dogs  all  day,  and  it  is  so  cold 
they  will  stop  at  night.  If  we  kill  her — and  I  vow  she  shall 
die — it  will  have  to  be  done  ahead  of  the  dogs,  while  she 
is  crossing  back  and  forward  from  the  two  big  brakes." 

"Mount,"  I  re^jlied.  "I  have  eaten  all  I  want,  and 
Ike  has  jiut  us  up  a  good  lunch — sufficient  for  all  four  of 
us.  Besides  (showing  him  the  canteen),  I  have  got  some- 
thing to  warm  the  inner  man,  if  we  should  feel  like 
freezing." 

A  dash  down  the  road  revealed  the  trace  of  the  dogs  and 
Bear. 

''What  a  whopper  it  is!"  said  Phillips,  who  led  the 
way,  I  following  at  a  break-neck  speed.  Some  two  miles 
below,  we  saw  where  the  Bear  had  left  the  road  and  crossed 
the  river,  at  one  of  its  widest  bends.  No  dogs  were  in  hear- 
ing. I  wanted  to  swim  our  horses  across,  and  follow  after 
them. 

"No,"  said  Phillips.  "No  use  to  do  that;  before  we 
could  come  up  with  them  the  Parson  and  Howell  will  have 
crossed,  and  will  be  ahead  of  us.  Perhaps  they  may  kill; 
but  I  think  the  Bear  will  cross  back  to  run  to  the  forks 
before  we  can  get  opposite  the  mouth  of  Cypress.  Hurry 
up,  and  ride  for  all  you  are  worth,  to  get  there  ahead  of  it. 
These  dogs  mean  business,  and  so  must  we  if  v,-e  are  to  be 
in  at  the  death." 

Four  miles  more  brought  us  to  where  the  Parson  and 
Howell  had  swum  their  horses  across. 

"  How  is  this  r'  said  Phillips,  as  we  pulled  up  to  listen, 
and  examine  where  they  had  crossed.  "  I  thought  I  told 
them  to  be  sure  to  go  to  the  ford,  and  then  ride  up  the 
creek,  so  as  to  intercept  the  Bear.  It  is  now  evident  that 
when  they  got  here  they  heard  the  dogs  fighting  the  Bear 
on  the  other  side,  and  not  being  a])le  to  wait  to  go  down 
two  miles  farther,  they  have  crossed,  and,  no  doubt,  are  not 
far  behind  the  dogs.  Let  us  make  for  the  ford  as  fast  as  we 
can  ride,  and  wait  there.  If  the  Bear  attempts  to  go  up 
Cypress  Creek,  then  we  will  have  to  swim  across,  and 
endeavor  to  get   up  with  the  dogs." 


THE   BLACK   BEAK.  271 

A  dash  of  a  mile  more,  and  Phillips  stopped  suddenly. 
He  had  caught  the  sound  of  the  baying  of  the  dogs,  and 
of  the  voices  of  Littlejohn  and  Taylor.  The  roar  of  the 
pack  was  plain;  and  not  far  behind  them  we  could  hear  the 
yells  of  the  two  hunters. 

"They  must  have  gone  stark-mad,  to  be  hollering  to 
those  dogs,"  exclaimed  Phillips,  as  he  muttered  to  himself 
words  I  did  not  catch — but  no  doubt  they  made  the  record- 
ing angel  blush  for  their  irreverence.  And  then  he  added, 
louder,  "The  Parson  has  forgot  where  he  is,  and  thinks  he 
is  preaching  to  a  lot  of  mourners  at  a  camp-meeting.  He 
will  never  kill  a  Bear  at  that  rate.  Ride,  Colonel;  I  hear 
old  Kate  half  a  mile  ahead,  and  she  is  Just  pinching  and 
pushing  that  Bear  for  all  he  is  worth.  The  Bear  is  aiming 
to  cross  at  the  ford,  and  if  we  can  get  there  in  time  we  can 
get  a  shot  before  it  passes  the  road." 

It  was  true.  Old  Kate  was  at  least  three  to  four  hun- 
dred yards  ahead ;  and  it  was  a  ride  for  life  and  death  for  us 
to  be  there  before  they  crossed  the  river,  which  we  undoubt- 
edly would  have  done,  but  for  having  to  make  our  way 
around  a  number  of  large  trees  that  the  wind  had  blown 
down  that  night  right  across  our  path. 

This  gave  the  Bear  the  inside  track,  and  we  had  the 
melancholy  satisfaction  of  hearing  Kate' s  fierce  voice  as  she 
plunged  into  the  cane  on  the  right.  She  and  the  Bear  had 
passed  before  we  got  to  the  ford,  which  the  rest  of  the  i:)ack 
were  now  swimming. 

"Let  us  stop  here  until  the  dogs  all  cross,  and  when 
they  see  me  they  will  pursue  the  Bear  with  renewed  cour- 
age," said  Phillips. 

Just  then  I  saw  the  Parson  and  Taylor  dash  down  the 
bank,  right  into  the  water,  behind  the  last  dogs.  What 
cared  those  gallant  hunters  for  ice,  snow,  and  swimming 
water  in  a  time  like  this  !  Up  the  bank  they  came,  as  wet 
as  water  could  make  them,  and  still  yelling. 

"Stop  that  infernal  noise,"  shouted  Phillips,  as  he 
dashed  forward  to  head  them  off.  "  Sto^D  that  noise.  If 
you  had  not  yelled  so,  you  would  have  got  a  shot  long  ago. 


272  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

or  the  Colonel  and  I  would  luive  killed  the  Bear  while 
crossing  here.  It  will  never  stop,  nor  return  here,  unless 
all  noise  ceases.  I  will  follow  the  dogs,  and  endeavor  to 
head  the  Bear  from  running  up  the  Little  Missouri.  Par- 
son, you  and  Howell  take  down  the  Ouachita,  and  if  you 
hear  the  dogs  lighting  close,  make  for  the  dogs;  but,  for 
God's  sake,  do  no  more  yelling.  And  you.  Colonel,  stay 
back,  and  if  you  hear  the  dogs  returning,  dash  back  to  this 
l)lace.     The  Bear  will  cross  back,  if  it  is  not  shot." 

With  these  injunctions,  he  was  soon  lost  to  view,  and  I 
shouted  to  the  Parson  and  Howell  to  "hold  on  for  a 
moment."  Pulling  out  my  canteen,  I  said,  "  If  there  ever 
was  a  time  in  your  lives  that  you  needed  spiritual  revival, 
it  is  now; "'  and  I  handed  it  to  them,  A  deep  swig  by  both, 
and  soon  thej^  were  out  of  sight,  while  I  rode  slowly  down 
the  road.  It  was  only  a  few  miles  down  to  the  junction  of 
the  two  rivers,  which  was  almost  inaccessible,  on  account 
of  the  bluff  banks  below. 

Half  an  hour  elapsed,  with  the  roar  of  the  pack  all  the 
time  ringing  in  my  ears,  and  if  any  man  thinks  it  was  easy 
for  me  to  sit  there  and  listen  to  it,  he  has  never  ridden  to 
hounds  when  they  were  in  led-hot  pursuit  of  a  big,  hungry 
Bear.  After  awhile  the  sound  died  away,  and  I  could  hear 
nothing  of  dogs  or  hunters.  It  was  growing  fearfully  cold; 
the  snow  was  at  least  three  inches  deep,  and  the  woods  were 
fast  becoming  an  iceberg.  A  more  disagreeable  day  a  lot 
of  hunters  never  endured. 

It  recalled  to  my  mind  the  memorable  time  in  the  life 
of  the  immortal  Davy  Crockett,  when  he  had  to  climb  a  tall 
sapling,  on  the  banks  of  the  Obion  River  of  Tennessee,  and 
slide  down  it  all  night,  to  let  the  friction  warm  him  to  the 
I)oint  of  not  freezing. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  I  thought  I  heard  the  sound  of  a 
gun,  and  after  some  time  the  notes  of  old  Kate  could  be 
distinguished.     The  Bear  was  evidently  making  back. 

Then  I  heard  nothing  more  for  an  hour,  when  another 
gun  broke  the  blast  of  the  storm.  Soon  old  Kate's  note 
came  plainly,  followed  by  those  of  the  whole  pack.     These 


THE   BLACK   BEAR.  273 

sharp  barks  denoted  that  they  were  in  close  quarters,  and 
that  a  death-struggle  was  going  on. 

They  were  coming  nearer  and  nearer  to  me.  It  was  too 
much  for  a  hunter  to  stand  and  not  be  allowed  to  par- 
ticipate. Putting  spurs  to  my  horse,  I  dashed  ahead  to 
meet  the  dogs,  regardless  of  the  instructions  of  Phillii^s, 
and  thereby  I  lost  the  chance  of  killing  the  Bear.  The 
sleet  was  so  heavy  that  I  must  have  made  a  world  of  noise. 
This  caused  the  Bear  to  turn  and  give  Parson  Littlejohn 
the  chance  of  putting  in  a  good  shot.  The  cane  was  so 
thick  that  the  only  damage  he  did  was  to  break  a  fore-leg, 
low  down,  which  did  not  im^jede  the  Bear's  flight  a  great 
deal;  but  it  made  her  more  savage  than  ever,  and  several  of 
the  curs  were  soon  left  dead  on  lier  trail. 

I  attempted  to  head  the  run,  but  got  caught  in  a  vine, 
and  while  1  was  disengaging  myself,  I  saw  Taylor  dash  by 
me,  hatless,  and  regardless  of  every  impediment,  intent  on 
stopping  the  Bear  from  crossing  the  river,  or  killing  it  as  it 
should  cross  the  road. 

Quickly  cutting  the  vines  that  held  me,  I  galloped 
behind  him,  and  saw  Bear  and  dogs  crossing  Just  ahead  of 
him.  The  fight  was  so  close  that  he  could  not  shoot,  for 
fear  of  killing  a  dog.  Down  the  bank  plunged  the  Bear, 
with  old  Kate  nipping  her  liind  legs,  and  the  balance  of 
the  pack  at  her  sides  and  around  her.  Oh,  but  she  was 
furious!  Her  angry  growls  could  be  heard  above  the  roar 
of  the  dogs,  and  then  a  fearful  shriek  told  that  some  dog- 
had  been  bitten,  or  struck  by  her  paw. 

Into  the  water  x^lunged  the  Bear,  with  dogs  jDuUing  at 
her  as  she  swam  across,  and  Howell,  on  his  gallant  gray 
horse,  Felix,  swimming  so  high  that  the  water  did  not 
cover  the  skirts  of  the  saddle.  Several  times  I  saw  him 
raise  his  gun  to  shoot,  and  then  take  it  down.  I  was  right 
behind  him,  my  horse  swimming,  not  like  Felix,  but  so 
low  that  I  was  wet  to  the  neck. 

"Don't  shoot  I *'  I  shouted  to  Howell.  " If  you  kill  her, 
she  will  sink,  and  we  will  lose  her."  But  as  she  rose  to 
ascend  the  bank,  he  could  not  restrain  his  impetuosity,  but 

18 


274  BIG    (JAM?:   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

fired,  wounding  the  Bear  and  killing  a  dog — fortunately 
not  old  Kate.  Before  we  crossed,  tlie  Parson  and  Phillips 
were  in  the  river,  urging  their  horses  to  swim  as  fast 
as  possible;  and  by  the  time  we  had  got  a  hundred  yards 
ahead  of  them,  both  had  crossed,  and  were  coming  at  full 
speed  behind  us. 

It  was  no  use  for  me  to  try  to  get  ahead  of  Howell.  The 
Bear  was  evidently  weakening,  and  the  dogs  were  growing 
more  and  more  furious.  A  dash  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
with  Howell  not  fifty  yards  ahead  of  me — he  right  behind 
the  dogs — and  the  old  Bear  plunged  into  a  cave-root,  and 
turned  for  her  final  stand. 

In  a  moment,  Howell  was  on  the  ground.  Reckless  of 
everything,  he  rushed  almost  into  the  jaws  of  the  beast, 
and  fired  a  fatal  shot  into  her  side,  just  behind  the  shoul- 
der, the  gun  almost  touching  her  body.  She  sank  to  earth, 
and  before  she  could  have  risen,  he  buried  to  the  hilt  in  her 
heart  his  glittering  bowie-knife,  and  gave  a  long  yell  of 
triumph. 

By  this  time,  the  Parson,  Phillips,  and  I  w^ere  up,  and, 
dismounting,  we  all  united  in  a  genuine  old  Bear-hunter's 
yell,  and  hugged  each  other,  just  as  men  and  comrades  do 
after  a  deadly  and  successful  charge  of  a  battery. 

Then  the  question  came  up,  ' '  What  must  we  do  with 
the  Bear?"  The  sun  was  nearly  down,  it  was  ten  miles  to 
camp,  and  a  river,  deep  and  two  hundred  yards  wide,  to 
swim — we  were  wet,  hungry,  and  the  cold  was  growing 
more  intense  every  moment.  The  Bear  proved  to  be  a 
barren  female,  as  predicted;  but  she  was  not  poor,  being, 
on  the  contrary,  in  good  condition  for  that  time  of  the 
year. 

"What  shall  we  doT'  was  now  the  absorbing  question, 
and  it  was  quickly  decided  to  let  her  lie  there  until  the 
next  morning,  when  she  could  be  taken  to  the  hills,  skirt- 
ing both  the  Ouachita  and  Cypress  Creek.  Our  wagon 
could  be  crossed  over  at  the  Coleman  ford,  and  driven  down 
the  Camden  road  to  a  point  where  the  Bear  could  be  taken 
to  it.     Tliere  was  no  help  for  it,  but  the  river  had  to  be 


THE  BLACK   BEAK.  275 

crossed  again— no  fun  in  it  this  time,  as  the  cold  water 
baptized  us  again  nearly  to  our  necks. 

Horse-flesh  was  not  si)ared  on  the  eight-mile  ride  up 
the  river,  and  in  less  than  one  hour  and  a  quarter  we  were 
in  sight  of  our  camp-flres.  Phillips  was  in  the  lead,  and  as 
he  saw  the  cheerful  blaze,  shouted  back: 

"I  guess  those  negroes  recollected  what  I  told  them  this 
morning,  that  if  they  did  not  have  a  rousing  fire,  and  plenty 
of  coffee,  hot  as  could  be  made,  I  would  duck  them  in  the 
river  until  nearly  drowned." 

It  was  a  rousing  fire,  large  enough  to  cook  a  whole  ox, 
and  was  made  out  of  the  best  of  seasoned  hickory-trees. 
We  were  nearly  frozen  before  we  got  there.  Our  clothing 
was  a  mass  of  ice,  and  long  icicles  were  hanging  from  our 
hats,  while  our  beards  were  covered  with  ice. 

It  took  us  but  a  moment  to  dismount  and  drink  a  quart 
of  strong  coffee.  Soon  the  negroes  had  stripped  off  our 
clothing.  By  bathing  in  cold  water,  and  by  hard  rubbing, 
we  were  prepared  for  dressing  and  eating.  The  lunch  I  had 
taken  had  been  so  saturated  in  crossing  the  river  that  I 
threw  it  to  the  dogs — at  the  killing  of  the  Bear.  Now  we 
fell  to,  as  if  we  had  not  eaten  a  mouthful  for  a  week. 
Never  did  I  enjoy  a  meal  more.  After  the  inner  man  was 
thoroughly  satisfied,  and  our  pipes  lighted,  each  had  to 
relate  what  he  did  and  saAV  during  the  day.  I  must  remark 
that  we  were  not  unmindful  of  our  horses,  that  did  us  such 
noble  service  all  day.  No  sooner  had  we  dismounted  than 
a  negro  stripped  each  horse  and  rubbed  him  dry,  walked 
him  back  and  forth  that  he  might  not  be  too  suddenly 
cooled,  and  then  each  was  blanketed  and  tied  near  the  huge 
fire.  The  dogs  that  survived  the  chase  were  abundantly  fed, 
and  given  straw  to  lie  on,  near  the  fire;  but  old  Kate  was 
permitted  to  occupy  a  bed  by  the  side  of  her  master.  Five 
dogs  were  missing — four  killed  by  the  Bear  and  one  by 
Taylor. 

After  we  had  lain  down,  Phillips  said  he  headed  the 
Bear  before  it  got  through  the  big  thicket  on  the  Little 
Missouri,  and  had  a  chance  to  have  killed  it  while  fighting 


276  BIG   GAME  OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

tlie  dogs,  but  both  barrels  of  his  gun  missed  fire,  and  before 
he  could  pick  powder  into  the  tubes  and  recap,  the  Bear 
made  off;  that  he  succeeded  again  in  cutting  it  off  from 
going  up  the  river,  and  got  a  shot,  but  his  horse  was  so 
friglitened  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  Bear  that  he 
missed.  However,  he  accomplished  his  object,  and  drove 
the  Bear  back  toward  the  Ouachita,  where  it  was  met  by 
Littlejohn,  whose  shot  broke  a  fore  leg. 

"Tell  us,  Parson,"  I  said  to  Littlejohn,  "why  did  you 
and  Taylor  cross  the  river  before  going  down  as  far  as  the 
ford?" 

"Oh,  that  was  because  we  heard  the  pack  fighting  on 
the  opposite  bank,  and  supposing  the  Bear  was  at  bay, 
Howell  and  I  could  not  stand  it,  but  w^ere  compelled  to  go 
to  the  relief  of  the  dogs.  By  the  time  we  crossed,  the  Bear 
had  moved  on,  and  we  followed  on  the  tracks,  as  fast  as  we 
could,  through  the  big  cane-brake.  While  I  was  making 
my  way  through  it,  I  came  across  a  fresh  track  of  a  large 
Bear,  and  following  it  a  short  distance,  I  saw  its  bed,  where 
it  had  bedded  for  the  winter.  It  was  a  much  larger  track 
than  that  of  the  one  we  have  killed." 

'•  That  is  glorious  news,"  remarked  Phillips.  "  We  will 
kill  that  Bear  to-morrow^,  in  less  than  half  an  hour  after  we 
start  it.  As  certain  as  we  are  alive  this  night,  that  Bear 
will  return  to  its  bed.  It  has  only  been  frightened  by  the 
dogs,  and,  I  doubt  not,  it  did  not  go  a  quarter  of  a  mile  be- 
fore it  stopped,  and  finding  the  dogs  had  gone  out  of  hearing, 
it  has  returned,  and  is  at  this  moment  sucking  its  paws  and 
thanking  its  stars  that  the  dogs  did  not  get  after  it." 

As  Pliillii)s  was  our  leader  on  this  hunt,  we  resolved  to 
follow  his  plan  the  next  morning,  which  was  to  send  the 
wagon  and  negroes  to  the  Camden  road,  and  direct  them 
to  go  to  Nix's  place,  near  the  Cypress  Creek  bottom;  for 
Colonel  A  to  go  with  them,  and  to  get  Nix  to  show  him 
the  hollow  leading  from  the  road  to  the  Ouachita  bottom, 
and  for  both  to  take  stands  on  the  run  Bears  usually  made 
in  (Tossing  from  the  Ouachita  across  the  hills  to  the  junc- 
tion of  Big  Tulip  and  the  Cypress  Creek. 


THE   BLACK   BEAR.  277 

"Nix  has  often  hunted  Bears  with  me,"  said  Phillii)S, 

' '  and  knows  all  the  runs  of  the  Bears.   As  Colonel  A has 

not  yet  had  a  shot,  I  propose  to  try  his  nerve  to-morrow.  It 
is  the  shortest  route  for  us  to  get  to  our  dead  Bear,  to  cross 
the  river  here  and  go  down  nntil  we  strike  the  tracks  of 
yesterday,  and  then  follow  on  until  we  come  to  the  bed 
which  the  Parson  found.  Should  the  Bear  not  have 
returned,  old  Kate  will  trail  it  up;  no  discount  or  odds  to 
be  taken  on  that  Bear — we  are  bound  to  kill  it.  It  is  now 
turning  warmer;  the  snow  has  stopped  falling,  with  every 
evidence  that  we  shall  have  as  pretty  a  day  as  the  j)ast  has 
been  blustering  and  cold." 

This  plan  being  adopted,  we  were  all  soon  sound  asleep, 
and  slept  until  the  negroes  roused  us  to  breakfast,  before 
the  stars  had  disapx^eared.  In  less  than  an  hour,  and  before 
the  rising  sun  gilded  the  tops  of  the  trees  and  IJashed  its 
rays  on  the  icicle  forest,  I  had  arrived  at  the  Camden  road 
with  the  wagon,  and  the  negroes  drove  at  a  sweejDing  trot 
to  John  Nix's  house.  It  was  not  more  than  seven  miles 
distant,  and  I  got  there  before  the  family  had  breakfasted. 
I  ate  a  second  breakfast  with  John,  and  told  him  the  occur- 
rences of  the  day  before  and  our  plans  for  this  day. 

In  a  short  space  of  time  he  was  ready  to  accompany  me. 
We  galloped  down  to  the  bottom,  not  a  mile  distant,  and 
took  our  stands. 

I  did  not  have  to  wait  over  half  an  hour  before  I  heard 
the  whole  pack  break  into  one  continued  roar,  bearing  direct 
to  me.  Then  I  thought  they  were  going  to  pass  me,  and,  as 
directed  by  Nix,  I  rode  about  a  quarter  into  the  cane,  until 
I  struck  a  slough,  along  which  the  Bears  frequently  ran 
when  jjursued  by  dogs.  This  slough  separated  the  two 
dense  points  of  the  big  brake.  Stopping,  I  heard  them  com- 
ing directly  toward  me.  Dismounting,  I  tied  my  horse,  and, 
cocking  my  gun,  stepped  a  few  steps  into  the  cane,  so  as  not 
to  let  the  Bear  see  me  should  it  run  down  the  slough,  and 
yet  be  able  to  shoot  either  on  the  slough  or  in  the  thicket. 

It  was  plain  the  dogs  were  up  with  the  Bear,  and  fighting 
all  they  could.     The  noise  the  Bear  made  with  its  growls. 


278  HUi   (lAMK   OK   NORTH    AMERICA. 

and  snapping  of  cane,  and  the  cry  of  the  dogs,  gave  me  the 
buck-ague  terril)ly.  I  was  afraid  the  Bear  would  not  pass 
by  nie.  But  a  few  minutes  ehipsed,  however,  before  I  saw  the 
cane  and  snow  and  icicles  snapped  and  pushed  aside,  and  not 
ten  feet  from  me  rushed  the  tremendous,  savage  beast.  I 
don' t  think  he  saw  me.  I  fired  the  left  barrel,  loaded  with  an 
ounce-and-a-half  ball,  into  his  side,  just  back  of  the  shoul- 
der, and  as  he  sank  to  the  shot  I  jammed  the  muzzle  of  the 
gun  to  the  ear  and  fired  the  second  shot,  bursting  nearly 
half  of  the  head  off.  Old  Kate  had  him  by  the  hind  leg 
befoi'e  I  fired  the  second  shot,  and  the  balance  of  the  pack 
were  up  before  the  last  smoke  cleared  away.  Three  long 
blasts  of  my  horn  announced  my  victory,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  Parson,  Taylor,  and  Phillips  dashed  up,  with 
Nix  a  short  time  after  them. 

"Just  as  I  predicted,"  said  Phillips;  "this  old  Bear 
had  gone  back  to  his  bed.  Old  Kate  winded  him  at  least 
two  hundred  yards  before  getting  to  the  bed.  She  did  not 
open,  but  broke  for  the  bed,  with  all  the  pack  following 
her.  I  am  confident  the  Bear  had  heard  us,  and  had  left 
the  bed  before  the  dogs  got  to  it.  It  was  so  fat  it  could  not 
run  far  before  the  dogs  came  up  with  it,  and  then  it  was  a 
fight  from  there  on  until  you  shot.  I  feel  assured  it  would 
not  have  gone  a  mile  further  before  turning  to  bay,  and 
some  one  of  us  would  have  got  the  shot  had  you  not 
headed  it." 

The  run  was  short,  and  the  ending  glorious.  There  was 
nothing  more  to  do  now  but  get  our  two  Bears  together, 
skin,  quarter,  and  divide,  and  then  to  return  to  our  respect- 
ive homes;  and  thus  ended  the  most  trying,  the  coldest,  and 
most  successful  hunt  I  ever  made  in  Arkansas. 


•-■v*^ 


THE  BUFFALO. 


By  Orin  Belknap  ("  Uncle  Fuller"). 


^ROM  the  savannas  of  Georgia  to  the  shores  of  the 
Great  Lakes  on  the  east,  and  from  the  waters  of  the 
'^  Gnlf  of  Mexico  to  the  plains  of  the  Saskatchewan  on 
the  west,  the  American  Bison  {Bos  Americcmus) 
roamed  in  numbers  conntless  almost  as  the  blades  of  the 
grass  iii^on  which  they  fed,  when  the  destroying  European 
first  met  the  eastern  vanguard  of  their  mighty  host.  From 
the  brine  of  the  Atlantic  to  the  cliffs  of  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains, wherever  the  camp-hre  of  the  wandering  Indian  shone 
in  wigwam,  lodge,  or  tepee,  within  sight  of  its  curling- 
smoke  was  found  the  strange  ruminant,  the  robe,  hesh, 
and  sinews  of  which  constituted  the  principal  source  of  his 
wealth,  and  the  x)ossession  of  which  rendered  him  the  most 
independent  of  savages,  and  the  best  fed  human  animal  on 
the  globe. 

The  amazing  numbers  and  wide  distribution  of  the  Bison 
greatly  facilitated  the  early  exploration  and  development 
of  the  interior  of  the  great  continent. 

The  rugged  Scottish  pioneers  of  the  Selkirk  Settlement, 
on  the  shore  of  Hudson's  Bay— whose  only  communication 
with  civilization  for  more  than  one  hundred  years  was  by 
means  of  the  single  ship  which  made  its  annual  voyage 
from  Europe  to  those  lonely  shores— found,  in  the  grazing 
herds  which  dotted  the  adjacent  plains,  a  plentiful  source 
of  the  flesh  diet  so  necessary  in  that  high  latitude;  while 
the  hardy  wyageur  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  on  his 
commercial  mission  to  the  savage  tribes  of  the  far  North- 
w^est,  carried  with  liini  into  the  frozen  regions,  in  the  form 
of  pemmican  made  of  the  dried  flesh  and  fat  of  the  Bison, 
the   only   food  that   proved  to   be    nutritious   enough    to 

(  -.TO  ) 


280  Hid   (iAME   OF   NOUTH    AMERICA. 

sustain  him  amid  tlie  fatigues  of  his  cold  and  harassing 
march. 

The  Leatlierstockings  of  the  American  frontier,  in  their 
far  westward  wanderings;  the  Mormon  enthusiast,  in  his 
search  for  the  hitter-day  Zion  yet  to  be  established  on  the 
sliore  of  the  lonely  inland  sea,  and  the  swarms  of  gold- 
hunters  hurrying  to  take  possession  of  the  new-found 
El  Dorado  of  the  Pacilic,  all  hailed  with  delight  the  first 
glimpse  of  the  shaggy  herds;  while  the  band  of  explorers 
under  Fremont,  gaining  at  length  the  freedom  and  plenty 
of  the  Buffalo-range,  when  Carson  had  killed  for  them  a 
Buffalo  cow  the  fat  of  which  was  two  inches  thick,  made  a 
great  feast,  and  until  long  into  the  night  held  high  carni- 
val in  honor  of  reaching  the  land  of  plenty,  where  gaunt 
hunger  no  longer  crowded  for  a  front  seat  bj^  the  hunter's 
camp-tire. 

Nowhere  else  on  the  earth  had  so  large  a  game  animal 
been  distributed  in  such  vast  numbers  over  the  face  of  a 
continent.  In  the  language  of  an  old  hunter,  the  plains 
were  "one  vast  robe!"  And  surely  never,  in  all  the  rec- 
ords of  our  planet,  was  chronicled  another  such  a  story  of 
multitudinous  slaughter,  of  any  part  of  the  brute  creation, 
as  is  contained  in  that  of  the  extermination  of  the  Amer- 
ican Buffalo.  They  have  vanished  from  the  face  of  advanc- 
ing civilization  as  nnst-clouds  vanish  before  the  rising  sun. 
A  little  handful  of  their  number,  wisely  protected  by  the 
fostering  care  of  the  United  States  Government,  yet  find  an 
insecure  retreat  among  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone ]S^ational  Park;  yet  the  mighty  herds  which  but 
a  few  short  years  ago  swarmed  innumerable  upon  the  great 
plains  are  to-day  extinct.  Their  bleaching  bones  have  long 
since  been  gathered  for  fertilizers,  and  the  furious  rain- 
st(»rms  of  the  plains  are  fast  obliterating  all  traces  of  their 
old  walhjws. 

Yet  the  American  Bison  was  a  hardy  animal,  and,  until 
the  coming  of  the  Euiopean,  was  more  than  a  match  for 
AVolvcs.  Beai's.  and  foi-  tlie  myriads  of  Indians  who  fed 
u])ou  liiin.    TliH  color  of  the  Buffalo  was  a  dark  brown,  verg- 


THE   BUFFALO.  281 

ing  upon  black;  his  muzzle,  horns,  and  hoofs,  black;  his 
head  and  shoulders  massive  in  size — the  shoulders  rising 
in  a  hump  a  foot  or  more  in  height;  his  hips  low  and 
small,  but  well  rounded;  his  tail  shorter  than  that  of  the 
domestic  ox,  slim  and  smooth,  tipped  with  a  tuft  of  long, 
black  hair;  his  legs,  below  the  knees,  wonderfully  slender 
for  so  huge  an  animal;  and  the  weight  of  a  fully  develoi)ed 
male  probably  not  less  than  two  thousand  i^ounds. 

His  horns  were  short,  and  large  at  the  base,  tapering 
rapidly  to  a  point,  and  curved  in  the  best  shape  for  attack 
or  defense,  as  many  an  untrained  horse  found  to  his  cost; 
and  these  formidable  weapons  were,  in  the  case  of  the  male, 
almost  completely  hidden  in  the  mass  of  long,  curly,  black 
hair  which  enveloped  his  head,  neck,  and  shoulders,  and 
which  gave  to  him,  when  seen  in  front,  a  peculiarly  Lion- 
like and  very  formidable  appearance. 

The  female,  in  shape  of  body,  resembled  the  male — high 
at  the  top  of  the  shoulders  and  low  at  the  hips,  but  desti- 
tute of  mane,  and  with  her  body  covered,  as  were  the  hind 
quarters  of  the  male,  with  a  coat  of  short,  thick  hair, 
underlaid  in  winter  with  fine,  soft  fur.  The  scent  of  the 
Buffalo  was  very  keen,  and  his  speed  almost  equal  to  that 
of  the  horse. 

Among  his  numerous  natural  enemies,  the  Indian  and 
the -large  Gray  or  Buffalo  Wolf  worked  his  greatest  destruc- 
tion, although  many  different  animals  preyed  upon  the 
weak  and  the  defenseless  of  the  herds;  and  Daniel  Boone 
is  said  to  have  once  shot  a  huge  Panther  while  the  fierce 
brute  was  clinging  to  the  back  of  a  Buffalo,  in  the  days 
when  Kentucky  was  yet  the  "dark  and  bloody  ground" 
of  the  savage. 

With  the  advent  of  the  European  came  improved 
weapons  and  greater  intelligence  to  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion, and  the  extermination  of  the  Buffalo  began.  The 
half-breed  Indians  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  who  for 
many  years  hunted  Buffaloes,  and  fought  the  Dacotahs  on 
the  plains  to  the  southwest  of  the  Selkirk  Settlement,  were 
among  tlie  first  to  reduce  Buffalo-hunting  to  a  system,  and 


282  Bid   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

for  generations  safely  depended  upon  this  animal  for  the 
supjiort  of  their  families. 

Each  hunter  was  oiitlitted  with  one  or  more  ponies  to 
be  used  in  running  Buffaloes,  and  with  a  strange  kind  of 
home-made,  two-wheeled  cart,  made  wholly  of  wood  (not 
so  mucii  as  a  linch-pin  of  iron  in  all  the  train),  and  drawn 
hy  a  single  ox  working  in  shafts.  Their  primitive  caravan, 
quite  indejiendent  of  roads,  moved  freely  in  any  direction 
across  the  broad  plains;  and  as  the  cart-wheels  were  never 
greased,  their  coming  was  heralded  by  a  most  unearthly 
screeching.  At  night,  the  carts  were  drawn  up  in  the  form 
of  a  cii'cle,  and  after  the  oxen  and  ponies  had  grazed,  they 
were  driven  inside  the  inclosure  and  the  gap  closed,  ren- 
dering a  night  stampede  impossible. 

When  Buffaloes  were  sighted,  the  mounted  hunters 
approached  them  armed  with  ffint-lock  shotguns  loi.ded 
with  ball,  and  with  a  powder-horn  with  a  large  vent  ^in 
order  that  powder  might  run  rapidlj^  from  it),  from  which 
the  stopi)er  had  been  removed  before  the  chase  began,  and 
witii  the  mouth  tilled  with  musket-balls  just  small  enough 
to  roll  freely  down  the  gun-barrel.  When  their  fire  had 
been  delivered,  the  hammer  and  pan-cover  of  the  gun  were 
drawn  quickly  back,  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  elevated,  the 
open  i>owder-horn  inverted,  and  its  contents  permitted  to 
run  freely  into  the  gun-barrel  until  the  hunter  judged  that 
a  sufficient  quantity  had  run  in,  when  the  horn  was 
droi)ped  and  allowed  to  fall  into  its  position,  right  end  up, 
by  the  hunter's  side.  The  muzzle  of  the  gim  was  then 
drawn  u})  to  the  hunter  s  lips,  a  bullet  dropped  into  it,  and 
tilt'  wild,  rough  rider  was  ready  for  another  victim.  All 
this  had  been  done  with  the  horse  racing  at  top  speed. 
By  keejiing  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  elevated,  and  only 
dtqiressing  it  at  the  instant  the  quick  aim  was  taken  and 
the  Trigg'T  ])ulle(l.  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  half  a 
dozt'U  liult'alops  to  l)e  slain  l)y  a  single  hunter  in  one  mad 
race. 

Five  good  milch-cows  were  vainly  offered  for  the  first 
Sharp's  carbine  ever  introduced  on  the  Red  River. 


THE    HIIFFALO.  283 

A  most  singular  accident  occurred,  many  years  since, 
during  the  march  of  a  party  of  these  half-breeds  in  search 
of  Buffaloes.  While  the  long  line  of  slow-moving  carts  was 
crawling  over  the  plain,  a  large  bull  Buffalo  was  seen  on 
the  left,  running  rapidly  toward  the  caravan,  at  right- 
angles  with  its  line  of  march.  His  course  w;as  down  the 
wind,  which  blew  strongly,  and  consequently  he  neither 
heard  nor  smelled  the  carts  until  close  upon  them.  The 
men  scattered  along  the  left  side  of  the  train,  supposing 
that  when  the  Buffalo  should  see  the  caravan  he  would 
swerve  to  the  right  or  left.  They  were  amazed,  however, 
to  see  that  the  huge  bull,  detecting  at  last  the  immediate 
presence  of  his  foes,  and  seeing  at  the  same  instant  a 
gap  in  the  close  line  of  carts,  charged  straight  for  it, 
to  go  through  the  line.  At  this  a  loud  cry  was  raised, 
which  attracted  the  attention  of  a  man  on  the  other  side 
of  the  carts,  and  seeing  the  gap,  he  also  attempted  to  run 
through  it,  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  unexpected  uproar. 
Just  as  the  Buffalo  entered  the  gap,  the  man,  slightly  in 
advance  of  the  opening,  ran  around  the  tail  of  the  cart, 
and  caught  sight  of  his  dreaded  foe  at  the  very  instant  of 
the  impending  collision.  Instantly  lowering  his  massive 
head,  the  great  bull,  with  a  vicious  upward  stroke  of  the 
terrible  black  horn,  caught  the  poor  fellow  under  the  chin, 
and,  with  instantly  broken  neck,  he  was  hurled  high  in  the 
air,  to  fall  limx^  and  dead  upon  the  ground,  while  the  great 
brute  galloiDed  away  over  the  plain,  leaving  the  companions 
of  the  fated  man  too  stuj)elied  with  horror  to  avenge  his 
death. 

Three  principal  causes  of  the  extermination  of  the  Buf- 
falo followed  in  regular  order.  First,  the  introduction 
of  the  licxuor  traffic  among  the  Indians  of  the  plains, 
thereby  stimulating  the  slaughter  of  the  Buffaloes,  and  the 
dressing  of  robes  with  which  to  purchase  this  tiery  curse 
of  the  Indian  race.  The  unscrui)ulous  liquor-trader  sought 
the  gathering-places  of  the  western  tribes,  and,  at  the  fi-e- 
quent  risk  of  his  own  life,  conducted  his  infamous  traffic, 


284  BI(J   (JAME   OF   NOHTII   AMKHICA. 

when  ji  siiKill  till  cup  full  of  liquor  was  the  regular  price 
for  :f  pony  or  a  robe.  As  the  orgies  of  the  savages  grew 
more  frantic,  and  as  their  drunkenness  dee^Dened,  the  watch- 
ful trader,  becoming  a  cunning  workman  in  the  cause  of 
temperance,  slyly  inserted  lirst  one,  then  two,  and  finally 
three  of  his  fingers  into  the  little  cup  while  measuring  out 
the  liquor;  and  the  potations  of  the  stupid  Indians  grew 
less  in  quantity  as  their  wealth  decreased.  Finally,  after 
having  strijDped  the  camp  of  its  last  robe — often  the  last 
covering  of  the  bed  of  the  Indian  mother  and  her  children 
— the  greedy  trader,  urged  to  speed  by  the  fear  of  vengeful 
pursuit,  hurried  night  and  day  toward  civilization,  eager 
to  place  as  great  a  distance  as  possible  between  his  load  of 
ill-gotten  spoil  and  its  legitimate  owners  before  the  stupor 
of  their  intoxication  had  subsided,  and  they  had  become 
fully  aware  of  tlie  depth  of  the  degradation  into  which 
they  were  plunged  by  this  unhoh^  trade.  May  the  wealth 
acquired  by  this  worse  than  infamous  traffic  i^erish  with 
those- who  accumulated  it! 

Aside  from  this  nefarious  traffic,  the  legitimate  trade  of 
the  regular  fur  companies  had  grown  to  colossal  propor- 
tions. The  amazing  number  of  Buffaloes  slaughtered  by 
the  Indians  of  the  plains  is  indicated  in  the  following 
report  of  a  partner  in  the  American  Fur  Company  (Mr. 
Sanfordj,  made  to  Lieutenant  Fremont,  in  1843,  and  which 
is  worthy  of  the  most  careful  study: 

Tlie  total  number  of  robes  annually  traded  by  ourselves  and  others  will  not 
be  found  to  diff(.'r  much  from  the  following:  American  Fur  Company.  70,000, 
Iludscju's  Bay  Company,  10,000;  all  other  companies,  probably.  10,000;  making 
a  tot;d  of  90.000  roltes  as  an  average  annual  return  for  the  last  eight  or  ten 
year>.. 

In  the  Northwest,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  purchase  from  the  Indians 
but  a  very  small  number,  their  only  market  being  Canada,  to  which  the  cost 
of  transportation  nearly  et^uals  the  produce  of  the  furs,  and  it  is  only  within 
a  very  recent  i)eriotl  that  they  have  received  Buffalo-robes  in  trade;  and  out  of 
the  great  number  of  BulTaloes  annually  killed  throughout  the  extensive  region 
inhabited  by  the  Comanches  and  other  kindred  tribes,  no  robes  whatever  are 
furnished  for  trade.  During  only  four  months  of  the  year  (from  November 
until  March)  are  t lie  skins  good  for  dres-ing:  those  obtained  in  the  remaining 
ei;.'lit  iiioiiih>  are  valueless  to  traders,  and  the  hides  of  bulls  are  never  taken  off 


THE   BUFFALO.  285 

or  dressed  as  robes  at  any  season.  Probably  not  more  than  one-third  of 
the  skins  are  taken  from  the  animals  killed,  even  when  they  are  in  good  season, 
the  labor  of  prepai^ing  and  dressing  the  robes  being  very  great;  and  it  is  seldom 
that  a  lodge  trades  more  than  twenty  skins  in  a  year.  It  is  during  the  sum- 
mer months  and  in  the  early  part  of  autumn  that  the  greatest  number  of 
Buffaloes  are  killed,  and  yet  at  this  lime  a  skin  is  never  taken  for  the  purpose 
of  trade. 

What  a  record  of  slaughter  is  this ! 

Next  in  order  came  the  invention  and  development  of 
the  modern  breech-loading  rifle,  the  highest  ty^je  of  which, 
in  the  estimation  of  the  successful  Buffalo-hunter,  was, 
unquestionably,  the  heavy -barreled,  double- triggered  Sharp. 
It  is  often  remarked  by  western  hunters  that  the  Sharp  rilie 
exterminated  the  Buffalo. 

And  finally  came  the  last  factor  in  the  problem  of  the 
extinction  of  the  Bison — the  building  of  the  Pacific  rail- 
roads. This  opened  up  the  very  heart  of  the  Buftalo-range 
to  the  last  of  the  scavengers — the  indefatigable  skin -hunter. 
It  also  checked  the  wanderings  of  the  herds,  and  limited 
the  area  of  their  range. 

An  intelligent  Sioux  Indian,  of  the  Santee  tribe,  with 
whom  the  writer  became  acquainted  while  trapping  furred 
animals  in  Dakota,  twenty  years  ago,  after  describing  to 
him  the  last  Biift'alo-chase  he  ever  enjoyed,  during  which 
a  wandering  band  of  forty-seven  Buffaloes  were  all  slain, 
added: 

'  •  I  told  the  other  Indian  boj's,  then,  that  the  railroad  was 
now  built  across  the  plains,  w  hich  would  stop  the  march  of 
the  Buffaloes,  and  that  if  we  lived  for  a  hundred  years  we 
would  never  see  them  here  again." 

Many  able  assistants  in  the  final  work  of  the  skin- 
hunters  were  found  in  the  crowds  of  settlers  along  the 
frontier,  who  hunted  for  meat.  Xothing  but  the  hams  of 
the  Buffaloes  were  brought  into  the  settlements  by  the  fall 
hunting-parties,  and  at  times  the  choicest  meat  went  begging 
at  five  cents  a  x>oiind. 

The  favorite  method  of  the  skin-hunter  was  to  crawl 
within  rifle-shot  of  a  herd,  and,  while  lying  prone  u^^on  the 
earth,  to  ox)en  fire  with  his  heavy  rifle,  with  its  heavy  l)all 


286  ma  gamk  ok  north  America. 

of  five  huudred  grains  or  more  in  weight;  and  the  stupid 
Biiifaloes,  not  seeing  anything  in  the  whole  range  of  tlieir 
vision  save  ii  very  inno(^ent-looking  little  smoke-cloud,  and 
(the  wind  favoring  the  hunter)  hearing  but  a  slight  report, 
would  often  stand  until,  one  by  one,  to  the  last  member  of 
the  band,  they  would  be  piled  in  unsparing  slaughter  on 
their  native  plains. 

Following  the  line  of  the  newly  constructed  Pacific  rail- 
road, as  a  continually  advancing  base  of  operations,  the 
skin-hunter  "carried  the  war  into  Africa,"  and  the  shat- 
tered remnants  of  the  once  mighty  herds,  exposed  to  the 
converging  lire  of  hungry  Indians  and  greedy  whites, 
melted  like  snow  under  a  summer's  sun. 

The  war  was  ended — the  chase  w^as  done;  whitening 
bones  and  bleaching  skulls  alone  marked  the  path  of  the 
leaden  cyclone  of  suffering  and  death,  and  the  Bison  of 
America,  together  with  the  Mastodon,  and  the  Great  Auk 
of  the  northern  seas,  lives  only  in  history. 

The  impulsive  and  pardonable  wrath  of  the  American 
sportsman,  who,  as  he  contemplates  the  extermination  of 
the  Buffalo,  feels  inclined  to  hold  up  to  universal  execra- 
tion the  Buffalo-skin-hnnter,  is  little  felt  or  shared  by  the 
l)liilosopliic  naturalist.  Much  as  the  latter  may  be  inclined 
to  regret  the  disappearance  of  so  interesting  and  valuable 
an  animal,  a  careful  consideration  of  the  subject  prompts 
him  to  graceful  acceptance  of  the  inevitable  in  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  Buffalo,  as  he  fully  realizes  that  the  x)res- 
ence  of  vast  hordes  of  animals  as  gigantic,  as  stupid,  and 
as  intractable  as  the  Bison,  w^ould  inevitably  have  been, 
if  stringently  i)i-otected  by  law,  a  menace  and  hindrance  to 
advancing  civilization.  Only  small  bands  of  these  animals 
coidd  have  l)eeii  secured  from  the  eager  hands  of  unscru- 
pulous, law-breaking  hunteis,  both  white  and  red,  as  In  the 
case  of  the  small  band  already  mentioned  in  the  Yellow- 
stone National  Park,  or  in  the  guarded  seclusion  of  private 
ranciies  or  parks. 

The  student  of  Indian  history,  also  (who  will  not  have 
failed  to  lemember  that  permanent  peace  with  the  Indian 


THE   BUFFALO.  287 

tribes  of  tlie  great  i3laiiis  lias  ever  been  impossible  of  attain- 
ment so  long  as  the  warlike  savage  found  an  unfailing 
supply  of  meat  wherever  in  his  wanderings  he  raised  his 
lodge-poles),  in  lecollection  of  the  bloody  massacres  of  the 
past,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  helpless  women  and  children 
of  his  own  race  now  scattered  along  the  frontier  in  yet 
possible  peril  of  the  horrors  of  savage  war,  will  incline 
toward  an  optimistic  view  of  the  question,  and  wisely 
conclude  that  the  skin-hunter,  with  his  big  Sharp,  instead 
of  being  the  ogre  of  an  untrained  imagination,  was  not 
only  a  necessary  evil,  not  only  the  necessary  forerunner 
of  civilization,  but  also  that  he  was,  after  all,  the  true 
missionary!  The  imperative  commands  of  Christian  civili- 
zation were  voiced  in  the  roar  of  his  big  rifle;  and  with  the 
extermination  of  their  hitherto  unfailing  meat-supi)ly, 
the  red  ferocity  of  the  ' '  Arabs  of  the  Xew  World ' '  grew 
pale,  as  did  the  scattered  bones  which  outlined  the  funeral 
march  of  the  Buffalo  1 

The  food-supply  of  a  growing  nation  of  people,  already 
numbering  more  than  sixty  millions,  imperatively  demanded 
the  use  of  the  great  plains  for  stocking  the  beef-markets  of 
the  crowded  cities;  and  the  lapse  of  less  than  a  score  of 
years  has  already  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  tliis  demand, 
in  the  multitude  of  domestic  cattle  now  roaming  over  all 
of  the  old  Buffalo-range — a  source  of  supply  for  the  wants 
of  man  more  necessary  and  reliable  than  that  of  all  the 
wandering  Buffaloes  which  ever  lent  the  charm  of  their 
presence  to  the  wild  life  of  the  plains. 

In  the  year  1872  came  the  writers  personal  experience 
with  the  Buffalo.  It  was  even  then  evident  that  they  were 
fast  passing  away,  and  we  were  obliged  to  go  one  hundred 
miles  farther  for  meat  that  year  than  did  the  hunters  of  the 
year  before.  The  latter  part  of  June  was  selected  for  the 
start;  for,  although  we  would  be  obliged  to  dry  or  jerk  our 
meat  on  the  hunting-grounds,  all  reports  from  the  game- 
region  agreed  that  the  Buffaloes  were  steadily  moving  west- 
ward, and  that  sliould  we  wait  until  fall,  the  game  would 


288  HIG   (iAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

be  beyond  our  reach.  Tlie  hiinting-ground  selected  was  the 
country  lying  between  the  Republican  and  Solomon  Rivers, 
in  Nebraska,  to  the  westward  of  a  line  running  south  of  old 
Fort  Kearney. 

Our  party  consisted  of  four  men,  with  two  teams  of  one 

span  of  horses  each.     M and  his  son  E ,  a  young 

man  of  some  twenty  years,  were  with  one  team,  while 

Y and  I  drove  another.     All  were  tenderfeet    except 

Y ,  who  had  been  a  night-herder  with  a  wagon-train  on 

the  plains  for  years.     Through  lack  of  saddle-animals,  all 

the   hunting   had   to   be  done  on  foot,     M and  E 

brought  small-bored,  muzzle-loading  rifles,  in  which  they 

appeared  to  have  great  confidence.  Y carried  a  Spencer 

carbine,  witli  forty  rounds  of  ammunition,  while  I  was 
armed  with  a  Gallagher  carbine,  fifty-six  caliber,  using 
forty  grains  of  powder.  These  were  the  best  arms  obtainable 
in  our  frontier  settlement,  and  the  choice  of  the  most 
utterly  worthless  gun  in  America  appeared  to  lie  between 
the  Spencer  and  the  Gallagher. 

The  i^oint-blank  range  of  the  Gallagher  was  one  hundred 
yards,  and  wliile  at  fifty  yards  it  would  sling  its  bullet  a 
foot  above  the  center  of  the  target,  at  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  the  ball  dropped  a  foot  or  more  below.  It  was  there- 
fore necessary  to  get,  if  possible,  within  just  one  hundred 
yards  of  tlie  game.  The  Spencer  appeared  to  have  a  some- 
what Hatter  trajectory,  judging  from  tTie  few  instances, 
during  the  targeting  of  the  carbines,  when  we  found  means 
of  ascertaining  which  way  the  balls  really  went;  but 
as  its  bullets  did  not  seem  to  be  at  all  partial  to  any 
particular  direction,  all  Avere  well  satisfied  when  at  the 
close  of  the  hunt  its  forty  rounds  of  ammunition  had 
actually  killed  two  Buffaloes  without  crippling  a  single 
hunter. 

Our  road  ran  westward  until,  at  a  point  on  the  Platte 
River  a  few  miles  west  of  Fort  Kearney,  it  turned  south 
toward  tlie  Republican  River,  distant  some  fifty  miles, 
where  we  folded  tlie  i^treaiu  and  camped  on  its  right  bank. 
The  h«»r  weather  compelled  us  to  travel  slowly,  and  the  one 


THE   BUFFALO.  289 

hundred  and  lifty  miles  of  the  journey  consumed  a  week's 
time. 

After  leaving  the  Platte  River,  the  road  entered  the  sand- 
hills, and   as  the  country  looked   favorable   for   hunting, 

E and  1  started  to  hunt  together,  on  a  line  parallel  with 

the  course  of  the  slow-moving  wagons,  in  the  hope  of  find- 
ing an  AntelojDe.  After  an  hour's  tramp  over  the  sand,  a 
fine  buck  Antelope  was  sighted  feeding  quietly  in  a  little 
hollow  surrounded  by  sand-hills,  and  we  proceeded  to  stalk 
him  as  quietly  as  possible.  A  low  sand-hill  to  the  leeward 
of  the  unsuspecting  quarry  covered  our  advance  until 
within  one  hundred  yards.  While  still  three  hundred  yards 
distant  from  our  contemplated  victim,  the  eager  boy  stopped, 
and  in  a  hoarse  whisper  asked: 

"How  are  we  going  to  get  that  Antelope  to  the  wagons 
after  we  have  killed  liimT' 

"We  will  not  have  any  trouble  in  carrying  him,"  I 
replied;  for  I  had  been  there  before. 

We  crept  to  the  top  of  the  sand-hill,  cocked  our  guns, 
and  slowly  raised  our  heads  above  the  grass  to  get  a  stand- 
ing-shot at  the  sharp-eyed  rascal.  A  red  streak  speeding 
over  the  opposite  sand-hill  rewarded  our  eager  gaze,  and 
having  vainly  sent  a  couple  of  bullets  in  chase  of  the  flying 
brute,  we  shouldered  our  guns  and  marched  dejectedly  back 
to  the  wagons. 

The  Antelope  in  this  part  of  the  country  had  been  much 
hunted,  and  had  long  ago  been  educated  beyond  the  point 
of  paying  any  attention  to  flags,  lures,  etc.,  further  than  to 
ti}^  like  the  wind  in  the  oi)posite  direction  at  the  first  sight 
of  them,  and  had  taught  a  crest-fallen  hunter  about  my  size 
that  the  sharpest-eyed  brute  that  ever  wore  hair  is  the 
much-hunted  Antelope  of  the  plains.  I  have,  on  many 
occasions,  caught  first  sight  of  them,  but  rarely  have  I 
been  able  to  creep  up  and  deliver  my  fire  without  being 
caught  by  that  gaze  which  seems  to  sweep  the  horizon 
without  an  effort. 

About  half-way  between  the  Platte  and  Republican  Riv- 
ers, we  saw  our  first  Buffaloes.    A  band  of  half  a  dozen  bulls, 

19 


290  BK;    (iAME   OF   NORTFI    AMKKICA. 

chased  by  ii  mounted  hunter,  crossed  our  road  half  a  mile 
in  front  of  the  wagons,  and  although  we  tried  hard  to  head 
them  off,  we  failed  to  secure  one.  A  few  miles  farther  on, 
we  met  a  hunting-party  leaving  the  range,  and  leading 
behind  their  wagon  a  horse  which  had  evidently  been  used 
for  running  Buffaloes,  and  whose  breast  was  ripped  open  in 
a  most  horrible  manner,  a  long  slit  commencing  between  the 
fore  legs  and  running  up  clear  to  the  bottom  of  the  neck. 
We  inquired  the  cause  of  the  horse's  wound,  and  were 
told  that  it  was  caused  by  the  collar  of  the  harness,  the 
unlucky  hunter  evidently  being  unwilling  to  confess  his 
failure  to  stop  the  charge  of  an  infuriated  Buffalo  bull 
with  the  breast  of  his  untrained  horse. 

Nearing  the  Republican  River,  we  met  a  man  driving  a 
pony-team,  and  inquired  of  him  where  the  main  herd  of 
Buffaloes  was.  He  replied  :  ' '  Cross  the  river  at  the  first  ford 
you  can  find,  go  out  on  the  hills  to  the  south,  and  the  whole 
world  is  black  ! ' ' 

Eagerly  Ave  pressed  on,  forded  the  shallow  stream  which 
ran  swiftly  over  its  wide  bed  of  sand,  and,  gaining  the  south 
bank  of  the  river,  drove  toward  a  grove  of  cotton- woods  a 
mile  or  two  above,  to  find  fuel  necessary  for  camp  use. 

As  we  turned  the  horses'  heads  up-stream,  a  large  bull 
Buffalo  appeared,  walking  rapidly  from  a  ravine  in  the  low 
hills  to  our  left,  across  the  bottom-land,  toward  the  river. 
The  day  was  fearfully  hot,  and  the  great  brute  was  mani- 
festly eager  for  water.  Catching  sight  of  the  approaching 
wagons,  he  stopped  to  look,  but  apparently  reassured  by 
the  slowness  of  our  approach,  he  again  walked  swiftly  on. 
He  was  now  less  than  half  a  mile  distant,  and  while  Y — -, 
wlio  had  seen  such  sights  a  thousand  times,  coolly  con- 
tinued the  advance,  driving  the  leading  team,  the  other 
team  was  left  to  follow  the  wagon  in  front,  while  three 
excited  tenderfeet,  snatching  their  guns  from  the  wagons, 
crept  along  close  behind  the  leading  wagon,  watching 
with  strangely  beating  hearts  the  advance  of  the  mighty 
l)ull.  He  was  very  uneasy,  and  again  stopi>ed  and  gazed 
a   few  seconds  at  his  advancinii'  foes;  then  once  a<rain  his 


THE  BUFFALO.  .  291 

thirst  overcame  his  fears,  and  with  stately  step  the  kingly 
brate  came  on.  His  course  was  diagonally  across  the 
bottom-land,  down  the  stream,  and  we  neared  each  other 
rapidly. 

It  seemed  impossible  for  him  now  to  escai)e  us,  and  at  a 
low  signal  we  ran  swiftly  forward  in  front  of  the  wagons,  to 
get  squarely  across  the  path  of  his  return  to  tli^  hills. 
Quickly,  as  though  on  a  iDivot,  he  turned,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  our  lives  we  saw  the  speed  of  a  thoroughly  fright- 
ened Buffalo,  as  he  dashed  across  the  level  ground,  still  far 
in  advance,  and,  in  spite  of  our  flying  bullets,  gained  the 
hills  unscathed. 

The  whole  western  sky  was  now  rapidly  filling  with 
angry-looking  clouds,  and  as  the  sun  sank  to  the  horizon, 
the  darkness  came  on  quickly.  Reaching  the  camp-ground, 
we  had  only  time,  after  a  hurried  supper,  to  put  things  to 
rights,  and  fasten  the  wagon-covers  more  securely  (for  we 
had  no  tents),  when  it  grew  dark,  and  the  storm  burst  upon 
us.  Nearly  all  night  it  raged.  Rain  fell  in  sheets,  while 
the  almost  incessant  flashes  of  lightning  illuminated  the 
wild  scene.  The  cowering  horses,  arching  their  backs  to  the 
falling  rain,  turned  away  from  the  coming  blast,  while 
the  great  cotton- woods,  bowing  their  stately  heads  toward 
the  plain,  writhed  and  twisted  as  they  wrestled  with  the 
gale;  and  the  hunters  drew  the  damp  blankets  closer  around 
their  ears,  and  wished  for  the  day. 

With  the  darkness  of  night  the  storm  passed  away,  and 
the  morning  sun  shone  brightly  on  the  water-soaked  plain. 
All  our  plans  for  the  hunt  were  now  changed.  Heretofore 
we  had  j)lanned  to  lie  in  ambush  for  the  thirsty  Buffaloes  as 
they  came  down  from  the  hot  jDlains  to  drink;  but  now, 
when  every  ravine  ran  full  of  water,  and  every  old  Buffalo- 
wallow  was  a  brimming  cistern,  it  was  evident  that  if  we 
were  to  secure  Buffalo-meat  sufficient  to  load  the  wagons, 
we  must  climb  the  hills  for  it. 

M and  E accordingly  ascended  to  the  southeast, 

Y remained  to  take  care  of  camp,  and  I.  shouldering 

the  formidable  Gallagher,  wandered  southward. 


292  BIO    GAME  OF   NORTH   AMEllRA. 

Following  up  a  deep  ravine,  or  valley,  for  a  couple  of 
miles,  straggling  Buffaloes  began  to  appear  on  the  hills,  and 
a  herd  of  several  hundred  came  in  sight  on  the  divide  to 
the  right.  A  band  equally  large  soon  showed  up  on  the 
divide  to  the  left. 

This  began  to  look  like  business,  and  I  stojjped  to  plan 
an  approach  to  the  strange  game,  of  whose  habits  I  knew 
next  to  nothing,  when  I  saw  two  large  bulls  leave  the  herd 
on  the  right  and  walk  down  the  hill  as  though  intending 
to  cross  the  valley  to  the  herd  on  my  left. 

Here  was  my  opportunity.  They  would  evidently  cross 
the  ravine  half  a  mile  in  front  of  me,  yet,  as  they  were 
nearly  a  mile  distant,  I  would  have  plenty  of  time  to  run 
forward,  under  cover  of  the  bank,  and  secrete  myself  in 
front  of  them.  Hurrying  forward,  I  took  position  where 
I  thought  they  would  cross,  and,  not  without  consider- 
able anxiety,  awaited  their  approach.  There  was  no 
chance  of  escaping  the  possible  charge  of  a  wounded 
bull  should  he  sight  me,  nor  could  the  oldest  man  in 
America  tell  where  the  Gallagher  would  carrom  on  the 
Buffalo  should  he  be  either  more  or  less  than  one  hundred 
yards  distant. 

After  a  long  time,  and  when  I  began  to  hope  that  they 
had  turned  back,  they  suddenly  appeared  in  the  ravine 
two  hundred  yards  above  me.  One  was  the  hardest-looking 
old  ''moss-back" — a  term  applied  to  the  very  old  bulls, 
which  were  late  in  shedding  tlieir  old  coat  of  hair — I  have 
ever  seen;  wliile  the  other  was  a  splendid  specimen — full 
grown,  glossy  black,  fat  and  round — and  I  determined,  as  he 
stepped  tpiickly  across  the  bottom  of  the  ravine  and  began 
climbing  the  opposite  hill,  to  get  him  if  jiossible. 

It  Avas  useless  to  tire  at  that  distance,  so,  observing  that 
they  were  keeping  on  the  crest  of  a  hog's  back  or  ridge  that 
rose  between  two  small  ravines  tributary  to  the  main  one, 
I  crept  forward  into  tlie  little  ravine  running  parallel  with 
their  line  of  march,  and,  as  they  slowly  climbed  to  the 
high  phiteau  above,  vainly  tried  to  get  a  shot  at  the  big, 
bhick  TeUow  witliout  l)eing  seen  })y  them. 


THE   BUFFALO.  293 

The  black  one  walked  in  front,  while  the  old  moss-back, 
whose  wrinkled  hide  had  apparently  shed  the  snows  of 
sixty  winters,  and  whose  races  with  the  ponies  of  many  a 
Pawnee  and  Ogalalla,  long  since  dead,  had  stiffened  his 
rheumatic  old  joints,  crept  wearily  after  him,  as  though  in 
search  of  a  good  place  to  lie  down  and  die. 

Near  the  head  of  the  ravine  they  stopped;  and  for  an 
hour  I  waited  for  the  old  skeleton  to  walk  on  and  give  me 
a  shot  at  the  other,  which  stood  just  beyond  him,  and  at 
which  I  could  not  shoot  without  exposing  myself,  which  I 
dreaded  to  do  with  the  wretched  gun  I  carried.  Finally  I 
grew  weary  of  waiting,  and  determined  to  start  him.  Ris- 
ing up,  I  judged  the  distance  at  one  hundred  yards  (it 
afterward  proved  to  be  about  fifty),  and  fired. 

Tom  Hood,  describing  the  sudden  release  of  boys  from 
the  school-room,  says: 

"  There  were  some  that  ran  and  some  that  leapt, 
Like  troutlets  in  a  pool!  " 

Not  a  boy  of  all  the  class,  however,  could  have  skipped 
with  this  suddenly  rejuvenated  old  Buffalo.  The  man  who 
would  "caper  with  him  for  a  thousand  mark "  would  be 
badly  left,  indeed.  He  seemed  to  rise  up  on  his  hind  feet 
and  i)irouette  with  the  agility  of  a  Fanny  Ellsler,  while  he 
looked  hungrily  around  for  the  man  who  had  trod  on  the 
tail  of  his  coat;  and  had  an  observer  been  convenient,  a 
solitary  horseman  might  have  been  seen,  on  foot,  with  hair 
ux)rising  and  an  old  Gallagher  in  his  hand,  as  he  sped  down 
the  ravine,  looking  eagerly  for  a  chance  to  crawl  into  a 
prairie-dog  hole  or  climb  up  among  the  toj)  limbs  of  a  sage- 
bush.  The  Buffalo  had  evidently  been  hit  up  in  the  hump, 
with  the  result  of  making  him  ' '  fightin'  mad. ' ' 

When  my  heart  had  gone  down  in  my  body,  and  1  was 
enabled  to  draw  air  into  m}^  lungs  again,  I  found  that  they 
had  both  run  on  and  joined  the  herd  on  the  divide;  and  on 
trying  to  crawl  within  gunshot  once  more,  some  straggler 
caught  sight  of  me  and  gave  the  alarm,  when  the  wliole 
herd  run  southward  out  of  sight.     The  firing,  and  the  panic 


294  HKJ   (JAMK   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

among  them,  had  ahirmed  the  others  far  on  the  west  side 
of  the  valley,  and  they  all  ran  off  southward. 

Slowly,  and  crest-fallen,  I  tramped  back  to  camp. 
M and  E coming  in,  rejiorted  having  killed  a  Buf- 
falo at  the  first  fire,  but  this  proved  to  be  a  wounded  one, 
and  unfit  to  eat.  Wounded  Buffaloes  were  to  be  found 
everywhere.  The  settlers  along  the  frontier  came  with  all 
known  weax)ons  in  search  of  meat,  and  Buffaloes  were  shot 
with  anything  that  would  burn  powder.  Skin-hunters  had 
been  on  the  ground  ahead  of  us,  as  the  stripped  carcasses 
jn-oved,  but  we  did  not  meet  any.  In  fact,  the  land  stunk 
with  rotting  Buffaloes,  as  the  breeze  many  times  testified' 
Avhen  not  a  carcass  was  in  sight. 

Around  the  camp-fire  that  night  the  situation  was  dis- 
cussed at  length.  Y — -,  who  did  not  care  to  hunt,  as  it 
was  old  sport  to  him,  and  as  he  knew  that  his  gun  was 
worthless,  kindly  volunteered  to  haul  the  meat  to  camp  and 
let  us  tenderfeet  do  the  hunting.  In  fact,  he  killed  only 
two  Buffaloes  on  the  trip.  E ,  the  boy,  was  a  gentle- 
manly fellow,  and,  although  eager  to  hunt,  expressed  his 
willingness  to  do  whatever  the  others  wished. 

M ,  who,  we  had  for  some  time  observed,  was  not 

averse  to  letting  us  know  that  he  thought  Y and  myself 

very  small  potatoes  as  hunters,  now  volunteered  the  state- 
ment that  E and  himself  would  have  to  do  the  killing. 

This  was  gall  and  wormwood  to  me,  and,  although  nothing 
was  said  in  reply,  I  inwardly  vowed  that  the  morning  light 
would  see  the  beginning  of  an  effort  to  kill  Buffalo,  the 
best  I  was  capable  of  making. 

In  the  morning,  E expressed  a  wish  to  hunt  with  me, 

but,  excusing  myself,  I  sallied  forth  alone.    M and  E 

hunted  together  to  the  southwest,  while  Y kept  the 

camp. 

A  mile  or  two  out,  I  saw  a  very  large  Antelope  feeding  on 
the  brink  of  a  ravine  half  a  mile  in  front,  and  as  he,  for  a 
wonder,  had  not  seen  me,  I  ran  down  into  the  ravine  and 
followed  it  up  until  opposite  him,  then  crawled  to  the  top 
of  the  bank,  laid  off  my  cap,  and,  peering  carefully  over  the 


THE   BUFFALO.  295 

crest  of  the  hill,  saw  him  lying  down,  one  hundred  yards 
distant,  looking  back  over  his  right  shoulder  at  me.  I  had 
never  yet  killed  an  Antelope,  and,  taking  careful  aim, 
lired.  The  ball  struck  behind  the  shoulder,  passed  for- 
ward between  the  shoulder-blade  and  ribs  into  the  neck, 
and,  ranging  parallel  with  the  windpipe,  clipped  three  of 
the  ridge-like  projections  thereon,  and  stopped  in  the  flesh 
of  his  neck. 

Jumping  to  his  feet,  he  ran  some  fifty  yards,  and  I  thought 
him  unhurt,  when,  trying  to  draw  his  breath  and  the  blood 
running  into  his  lungs,  he  lowered  his  head,  and  the  wheez- 
ing sound  of  his  l^reathing  gave  notice  of  a  hit.  Still  he  ran 
on  over  the  hill.  Following,  I  jumped  him  again,  shot  him 
through  the  paunch  as  he  ran;  jumped  him  still  again,  and 
shot  him  through  the  heart,  when  he  ran  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards,  and  was  not  done  struggling  when  I  reached  him 
— the  hardest-lived  animal  I  ever  saw,  for,  be  it  remembered, 
the  gun  was  lifty-six  caliber. 

This  seemed  a  lucky  lieginning  of  the  day's  hunt,  and, 
dressing  him,  I  hurried  on  after  Buffaloes.  A  herd  soon 
appearing,  I  crawled  up,  and  being  careful  of  distance,  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  a  noble  bull,  and  repeated  the  operation 
twice  more  during  the  day.    Feeling  jubilant  at  my  success, 

I  returned  to  camp,  and  had  just  told  Y the  story  of 

my  good  luck  when  the  others  returned. 
""  What  luck  i  "  asked  M . 

"The  boy  has  got  three  Buffaloes  and  an  Antelope," 

replied  Y ,  lief  ore  I  could  speak.     "  What  luck  did  you 

have '/"  he  continued. 

••  We  have  shot  eigiit,"  replied  M . 

My  heart  sunk,  lor  I  had  hoped  to  equal  his  score,  and 
had  worked  hard  for  it.  Not  until  I  felt  thoroughly  hum- 
bled did  we  learn  that  they  had  shot  at  eight  Buffaloes  and 
succeeded    in   killing   only   one,    which    proved    to    be    a 

wounded  one,  and  E afterward  told  me  it  smelled  so 

badly  they  did  not  go  within  thirty  yards  of  it. 

Naturally  enough,  I  felt  better,  and  as  M soon  after- 
ward began  telling,  in  a  very  modified  tone  of  voice,  of  his 


296  BIO   GAMK   OF   NORTH    AMP:RICA. 

ability  to  dry  meat  i)roperly,  and  of  his  willingness  to  let 

E and  myself  kill  the  meat,  while  Y hauled  it  in, 

I  l)egan  wondering  what  had  happened  to  him  during  the 
day,  to  frighten  him  into  giving  up  the  hunt  without  kill- 
ing a  single  ]5uffal<).  He  never  shot  at  another  Buffalo 
from  that  day  to  this. 

Peace  again  reigned  in  Warsaw,  for  I  was  perfectly  will- 
ing to  hunt  with  E ,  who  was  a  very  pleasant  compan- 
ion; and.   although   he  hunted  alone  the   following  day, 

while  I  piloted  Y to  the  dead  animals,  yet  during  the 

three  succeeding  days  we  were  side  by  side,  and  he  was 
only  prevented  from  accompanying  me  on  the  last  day  by 
the  fact  that  his  feet  were  too  badly  l^listered  to  go. 

As  the  darkness  fell  around  the  lonely  camp-fire,  and  the 
flitting  shadows  danced  and  waved  along  the  edge  of  the 
surrounding  gloom,  the  hunters  drew  near  together  in  front 
of  the  cheerful  blaze,  and  anecdote  and  reminiscence  from 
the  life-history  of  each  served  to  pass  the  interval  until 
bed-time;  and,  among  the  experiences  that  interested  us, 

Y told  us  of  a  thrilling  sight,  when  he,  together  with 

others  of  the  wagon-train  with  which  he  at  that  time 
belonged,  watched  a  race  where  a  human  life  seemed  for 
the  moment  not  worth  a  straw,  and  where  all  the  deej^ly 
interested  spectators  were  jjowerless  to  avert  the  impend- 
ing doom. 

A  young  German,  al)solutely  without  experience,  had 
recently  joined  the  wagon-train,  and  being  possessed  of 
an  intense  desire  to  kill  a  Buffalo,  had  borrowed  a  ritie 
from  one  of  his  companions,  and,  during  the  usual  noon 
halt,  (me  day,  when  Buffaloes  appeared  about  a  ndle  dis- 
tant, sallied  fortli  alone,  in  quest  of  game. 

The  prairie  was  nearly  level,  and  while  in  plain  view  of 
tile  men  of  tile  train,  he  was  observed  to  fire  at  a  Buffalo 
cow.  and,  immediately  and  very  imprudently  showing 
himself  to  the  cow,  she  dashed  at  him  at  full  speed.  The 
guii  was  a  muzzle-loadei';  there  was  not  time  to  reload, 
and  the  would-l)*-  hunter  iiiccmtinently  took  to  his  heels. 
Seeing   his    imminent   i)eril,  Y ,  together  with  several 


THE   BUFFALO.  297 

others,  seized  guns,  and,  mounting  the  nearest  horses,  sped 
on  the  almost  hopeless  errand  of  rescue.  Away  over  the 
smooth  prairie  raced  the  thoroughly  frightened  Gennan, 
at  right  angles  with  the  approach  of  his  mounted  rescuers, 
who  were  horrified  to  see  that,  hjng  before  they  were  near 
enough  to  give  aid,  the  furious  brute  was  at  his  very  heels. 
Just  at  the  instant  when  all  looked  to  see  the  poor  fel- 
low crushed  to  earth  or  tossed  skyward,  to  the  amaze- 
ment of  all,  the  cow  stopped  short,  and  gazed  steadily  at 
the  fleeing  fugitive.     The  horsemen  dashed  up  to  him,  and, 

said  Y ,   "  He  was  the  palest  man  I  ever  saw." 

He  said  that  he  had  felt  the  breath  of  the  Buffalo  on 
.his  hands  as  he  ran.  The  cow  jproved  to  be  mortally 
wounded,  and  before  the  mounted  hunters  reached  her, 
fell  and  died. 

Next  morning,  Y took  the  team,  and  with  nothing 

in  the  wagon  save  a  five-gallon  keg  of  drinking-water,  he 
and  I  set  out  for  the  dead  Buffaloes.  We  drove  up  the  hill 
and  out  on  the  great  plateau  stretching  southward,  and 
going  slowly  along  over  the  smooth  j^rairie,  making  but 
little  noise,  had  just  reached  the  crest  of  a  low  ridge,  when 
right  in  front,  within  three  hundred  yards,  appeared  a  herd 
of  one  or  two  hundred  Buffaloes — bulls,  cows,  and  calves. 

Away  they  went;  and  seeing  that  the  ground  was  smooth 

in  front,  Y put  whip  to   the  horses,  which  seemed  to 

enter  instantly  into  the  spirit  of  the  chase  and  sprang 
forAvard  at  a  full  run,  while  the  wagon  bounded  over  the 
turf,  causing  us  to  cling  tightly  to  the  spring-seat,  and  the 
water-keg  bounded  and  vaulted  from  side  to  side  of  the 
wagon-box,  making  a  fearful  racket,  as  we  slowly  gained 
on  the  flying  herd.     Coming   within   seventy-five   yards, 

Y threw  the  horses  on  their  haunches  in  his  hurry  to 

stop  them,  and,  just  as  soon  as  I  dared,  overboard  I  went, 
Gallagher  in  hand. 

A  big  bull  was  sighted  in  rear  of  the  herd,  but  instead 
of  falling  at  tlie>report  of  the  gun,  he  sped  on  more  swiftly 
than  before.     Another  cartridge  was  quickly  inserted,  the 


298  BI(}   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

gun  elevated  and  lired  at  the  herd,  now  huddled  together 
in  one  solid  mass.  A  fine  young  bull  was  seen  to  stagger 
a  few  steps  and  fail,  shot  through  the  heart. 

On  rushed  the  herd,  now  worse  frightened  than  ever; 
and  as  we  hurried  on  after  them,  we  fairly  shouted  in  tri- 
umph, for  we  saw  that  right  in  front  of  them  ran  a  ravine 
which,  we  could.see  at  a  point  beyond,  was  at  least  forty 
feet  deep. 

The  ravines  in  this  light  subsoil,  torn  out  by  the  deluging 
rains  which  occasionally  fall  in  this  region,  were  generally 
broken  off  at  the  edges  just  as  steep  as  soil  could  hang,  and 
as  the  Buffaloes  were  sweeping  on  like  a  tornado,  with  little 
time  to  look  before  they  leaped,  we  felt  sure  that  our  hunt 
was  ended,  the  meat  supply  assured,  and  only  regretted  the 
unnecessary  slaughter  sure  to  follow  as  the  fated  herd 
plunged  down  the  steep. 

Over  they  went,  now  some  three  hundred  yards  ahead  of 
us,  and  we  slackened  our  pace  to  a  walk  and  began  j)lan- 
ning  how  to  get  the  meat  of  the  slaughtered  herd  up  the 
nearly  peri:)endicular  walls  of  the  ravine.  When  within 
two  hundi'ed  yards  of  the  brink,  to  our  amazement,  a  Buf- 
falo appeared,  clambering  up  the  face  of  the  other  wall  of 
the  ravine,  at  a  point  that  we  afterward  found  taxed  the 
climbing  powers  of  a  footman.  Another  and  another  came 
bol)l)ing  up,  and  we  drew  up  the  horses,  utterly  dumb- 
founded to  see  that  every  one,  even  to  the  calves,  had  made 
the  plunge  in  safety. 

This,  to  me,  was  one  of  the  most  noteworthy  things  that 
ever  came  under  my  observation.  Many  times  afterward 
we  saw  Buffalo-tracks  on  the  slight  projections  of  the  walls 
of  these  deep  gullies,  in  places  where  we  could  only  stop 
and  stare.  The  shape  of  their  limbs,  too,  seemed  utterly  to 
forbid  their  climbing  such  walls. 

As  tlie  })ulls  at  this  season  of  tlie  year  were  fatter  than 
the  cows,  a  fact  which  was  apparent  at  a  glance,  we 
naturally  chose  them  for  beef,  and  as,  like  all  tenderfeet, 
we  were  ambitious  to  kill  the  largest  s^iecimen  to  be  found, 
it  followe'd  tliat  nearly  all  we  killed  were  large  bulls.     Yet, 


THE   BUFFALO.  299 

when  standing  over  the  body  of  my  first  Buffalo,  and 
noticing  the  extreme  slenderness  of  the  legs  just  above  the 
hoof,  I  then  and  there  began  to  measure  each  and  every  one 
we  killed  for  meat,  beside  large  ones  found  dead  —when 
they  did  not  smell  too  badly.  I  found  only  one  the  hind 
leg  of  which  I  failed  to  span  with  the  middle  finger  and 
thumb  of  one  hand,  and  this  one  was  a  dead  and  swollen 
animal,  killed  several  days  before.  The  fore  leg  was  a  trifle 
larger,  having  a  circumference  about  three-fourths  of  an 
inch  greater. 

The  size  and  weight  of  the  Buffalo  would  seem  to  neces- 
sitate a  leg  as  strong  as  steel  for  the  down-hill  plunges 
this  animal  can  safely  make. 

The  ability  of  the  Buffalo  to  climb  up  the  most  imprac- 
ticable steeps  is  noted  by  Fremont;  and  that  fascinating 
writer,  George  Bird  Grinnell  ("  Yo'"),  who  hunted  Buffalo 
with  the  Pawnee  Indians  on  this  same  hunting-ground,  and 
during  the  same  year,  describing  the  position  occupied  by 
a  Buffalo  cow  on  a  slight  projection  of  a  wall  of  one  of 
these  deep  ravines,  says:  "I  shall  never  understand  how 
that  animal  reached  the  position  it  occupied.'' 

A  word  of  explanation  may  here  be  necessary,  in  order 
to  show  why  we  were  enabled  to  outrun  a  flying  herd  of 
Buffaloes  with  a  two-horse  wagon. 

The  Buffalo  is,  or  was,  a  strange  animal,  and  in  some 
respects  closely  resembles  the  pig.  One  of  his  peculiarities 
cropi^ed  out  on  this  race.  Had  there  been  not  more  than  a 
dozen  animals,  they  would  doubtless  have  outrun  us  with 
ease;  but  the  stux^id  brutes  in  the  front  and  center  of  the 
herd  seemed  to  lose  fear  with  the  consciousness  that  others 
were  between  them  and  their  enemies,  and  galloped  steadily 
forward  without  hurry,  while  the  thoroughly  frightened 
ones  in  the  rear,  unable  to  force  their  way  forward  through 
the  mass  of  their  fellows,  ran  around  the  herd  to  the  front, 
only  to  drop  quickly  into  the  pace  of  the  leaders  and  galloj) 
doggedly  on,  until  they  once  more  found  themselves  in  the 
rear  of  the  j)rocession,  ready  to  repeat  the  roundabout  race 
again.     Leaving  the  herd,  that  had  fairly  gained  their  free- 


3()0  BIG   (JAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

doui,  we  took  the  hams  of  the  young  bull  and  drove  on. 
The  number  of  hunters  who  have  made  a  successful 
Bulfalo-chase  with  a  two-horse  wagon  is  probably  very 
small, 

A  mile  farther  on,  we  saw,  at  some  distance  in  front  of 
us,  four  large  bulls,  two  of  which  were  lying  down,  and  the 
others  standing — all,  as  it  afterward  proved,  fast  asleep  in 
the  warm  sunshine.  Although  we  had  no  intention  of 
running  them,  still,  as  they  were  directly  in  our  course, 
naturally  enough  we  were  anxious  for  a  shot. 

As  we  slowly  approached,  driving  at  a  gentle  walk  over 
the  smooth  ground  cari^eted  with  Buffalo-grass,  we  saw 
that  they  were  asleep,  and  actually  drove  within  twenty- 
five  yards  before  the  one  standing  nearest  us,  hearing  a 
slight  noise,  opened  his  little,  pig-like  eyes,  and  from  under 
his  heavy  curtain  of  black  hair  for  an  instant  stared 
stupidly  at  the  strange  apparition.  The  glance  of  indiffer- 
ence quickly  changing  to  one  of  wonderment,  and  his 
abject  terror,  were  positively  ludicrous.  Away  they  went. 
Two  balls  failed  to  check  the  si)eed  of  the  fattest,  and  they 
disappeared  beyond  a  rise  of  ground  half  a  mile  away. 
Plenty  of  meat  in  camp  that  night  caused  general  rejoicing, 
and  from  that  time  all  were  kept  busy. 

I   found  E a  delightful  comrade,  a  true  hunter,    a 

good  shot,  and  fully  able  and  willing  to  do  his  part.  The 
night  of  July  8d,  he  and  I  bivouacked  on  the  range,  about 
live  miles  from  camp,  in  order  to  be  near  Buffaloes  early  in 
the  morning,  and  were  awakened  on  the  morning  of  the 
ever-memorable  Fourth  by  the  howling  of  Wolves. 

Seventeen  head  of  Buffaloes  were  killed  in  the  course  of 

our  teu  days"  hunt  (not  counting  cripples),  of  which  Y 

killed  two,  E five,  and  ten  fell  to  my  Gallagher.     The 

hot  weather  was  the  worst  drawback  to  an  otherwise  pleas- 
ant trii>;  but  a  gofnlly  quantity  of  dried  meat  was  loaded 
in  the  wagons  when  we  left  the  range. 

Wlien  tlie  loaded  Avagons  were  at  last  turned  in  the  direc- 
tion of  civilization:  wlieii  we  had  recrossed  the  sandv  bed 


THE   BUFFALO. 


301 


of  the  rapid  Rei)ublican,  and  had  climbed  the  ridge  to  the 
northward,  we  paused  ujion  its  crest,  and  took  a  long  look 
backward  over  the  valley  and  the  great  plain  stretching  far 
to  the  southward,  all  wavy  and  shimmering  in  the  rays  of  the 
summer  sun;  and,  with  a  deep  sigh  of  regret  for  the  close 
of  the  exciting  chase  of  America's  noblest  game  animal, 
turned  at  length  toward  the  oncoming  wave  of  civilization 
which  was  destined  to  uj)root  and  destroy  all  of  the  old- 
time  romance  and  poetry  of  the  wilderness,  entirely  satis- 
fied that  we  had  done  our  full  share  in  the  probably  neces- 
sary work  of  exterminating  the  American  Bison. 


THE  MUSK-OX. 


By  Henry  Biederbick, 

Of  the  Oreely  Arctic  Expedition. 


fHIS  animal  derives  its  specific  name  from  the  pecul- 
iar flavor  by  which  the  meat  of  some  of  these 
animals  is  tainted.  He  averages  in  size  about  two- 
"^^  thirds  that  of  the  Bison,  but,  on  account  of  his 
great  coat  of  hair,  looks  much  larger  than  he  really  is. 
The  Musk-ox  seems  to  form  a  connecting-link  between  the 
Ox  and  the  Sheep  families,  having  many  of  the  character- 
istics of  each.  He  looks  somewhat  like  a  huge  ram,  his 
broad,  rolling  horns  adding  much  to  this  similarity.  He  is 
covered  with  thick,  long  hair  of  a  dark-brown  color,  which, 
however,  changes  somewhat  with  the  seasons.  Animals 
killed  by  our  party  in  May  proved  to  be  much  lighter  in 
color  than  those  killed  later  in  the  season. 

Under  this  coat  of  hair,  the  Musk-ox  is  covered  w^ith  a 
thick  sheeting  of  soft  wool  of  the  finest  texture  and  of  a 
light-brown  color. 

The  horns  are  large  and  broad,  are  formed  somewhat 
like  snow-shovels,  and  are  used  in  removing  the  snow  in 
order  to  reach  their  scanty  food  during  the  winter  months. 
The  meat  is  coarse-grained,  but  generally  juicy  and  tender, 
especially  that  of  the  younger  animals.  The  peculiar 
musky  flavor  can  be  obviated  by  dressing  the  animal  as 
soon  as  killed. 

The  range  of  the  Musk-ox  is  extensive.  He  abounds  on 
the  northern  shores  of  Greenland  east  and  west  as  far  as 
explored,  on  both  sides  of  Smith  Sound,  and  in  Arctic 
America,  from  latitude  60°  to  83°  north,  longitude  67°  30' 
west,  to  near  the  Pacific  Coast.  Fossilized  Musk-oxen  have 
been  found  at  Escholtz    Bay,    on   the  JS'orthwest  Coast, 

(303) 


3(»4  mo   CiAME   OF    NOKTII    AMKKICA. 

ill  Siberia,  and  in  Noithern  Europe;  but  only  one  species 
of  tlieir  living  descendants  is  now  found,  and  that  is  con- 
lined  to  the  Aictic  region  of  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

It  has  heretofore  been  supposed  that  the  Musk-ox  was 
a  migratory  animal;  but  as  some  of  them  were  seen  by 
Sergeant  Brainard  and  others  of  our  party  as  early  as 
March,  when  the  snow  is  deepest  and  the  temperature 
lowest,  it  must  be  taken  for  granted  that  he  is  a  regular 
habitant  of  Grinnell  Land  and  Northern  Greenland  all  the 
year  i-ound. 

The  Musk-oxen  travel  in  herds,  and  it  is  but  an  excep- 
tion when  one  of  them  is  found  alone.  This  herding 
together  gives  them  a  better  chance  to  defend  themselves 
against  their  one  enemy,  the  Arctic  Wolf,  and  also  gives 
them,  through  close  contact,  additional  warmth  and  pro- 
tection against  cold  and  winds.  Animals  traveling  singly 
were  general]}^  found  to  be  old  bulls,  who  had  probably 
been  driven  from  their  herds  by  tlieir  younger  and  stronger 
adversaries. 

The  Musk-ox  prefers  the  hill-country,  but  is  often  found 
in  the  low,  level  countries,  either  along  the  coast  or  farther 
in  hind.  He  is  called  by  the  Eskimo  Oo-irning-rfhung.  These 
simple  Arctic  x>eople  live  princix)ally  on  seal-fat  and  wliale- 
bUibber.  They  occasionally,  however,  hunt  the  Reindeer, 
more  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  skins  for  clothing  and 
bedding  than  for  tlie  change  of  diet.  Still  more  rarely,  they 
plan  a  trip  into  the  interior  in  quest  of  the  Musk-ox,  both  for 
the  [)ur}»()SH  of  varying  their  bill  of  fare  and  of  procuring  the 
great,  soft  robes  for  bedding  or  for  barter.  In  hunting  this 
animal  the  natives  use  dogs— the  same  ones  that  are  used  in 
drawing  their  sledges  over  the  inliosiDitable  wastes  of  snow 
and  ice  that  cover  the  habitat  of  these  people.  Their  method 
of  hunting  the  Musk-ox  is  most  novel  and  interesting,  and 
I  can  not  describe  it  better  than  in  the  language  of  Lieut. 
F'redcrick  Schwatka.  In  an  article  contributed  to  the  Ameri- 
can FichL  in  1881).  that  poi)ular  writer  and  explorer  says: 

"  Wlii'U  tht'  native  hunter  has  reached  the  Musk-ox 
couutrv.  and  has  hiiilt  his  snow-house  on  the  shores  of  some 


THE  MUSK-OX.  805 

Alpine  lake  in  the  hill-land,  he  prepares  for  his  hunt,  li" 
there  are  three  or  four  men  and  boys  in  the  party,  they 
will  '  beat  up '  the  country,  so  to  speak,  or  give  it  a  thorough 
search;  that  is,  they  will  go  out  in  as  many  different  direc- 
tions as  they  can  organize  j)arties,  boys  going  in  jjairs,  while 
the  older  hunters  go  each  by  himself.  No  sledges  are  taken 
when  on  these  excursions,  and  if  Reindeer  are  seen,  they  are 
killed  and  their  carcasses  cached.,  as  if  they  had  come  for 
such  animals  instead  of  the  Musk-oxen.  The  day's  trip  is 
as  far  as  they  can  go  and  get  back  home  by  night,  or  often 
ten  or  twelve  miles  away  in  a  straight  line. 

"  If  a  Musk-ox  trail  is  found  by  a  hunter,  its  age  deter- 
mines his  further  action.  If  fresh,  he  will  return  and 
rejport  it,  and  the  next  day  will  be  given  to  the  chase  of  the 
animals.  Even  if  he  sees  the  animals,  he  will  do  nothing  to 
disturb  them  that  day.  If  no  signs  have  been  seen  by  any- 
one, and  their  supplies  warrant  it,  they  will  make  another 
day's  march  farther  into  the  Musk-ox  country,  build  another 
village  of  snow,  and  beat  up  the  country  again.  Sometimes 
this  is  continued  by  making  a  huge  detour,  or  half-circle, 
through  the  district  sujDposed  to  contain  the  game. 

"  If  the  signs  are  old,  they  will  follow  the  trail  with  the 
sledges  until  it  becomes  fresh  enough  to  warrant  their  stop- 
ping and  building  their  snow-huts,  and  following  next  day 
as  a  hunting-party. 

"Once  a  fresh  trail  is  discovered,  however,  everything 
is  animation  and  excitement  in  preparing  for  the  chase, 
which  usually  follows  the  day  after  the  finding.  The  night 
before,  the  party  retires  early,  to  get  some  sleep  before  a 
corresi)ondingly  early  start  next  morning;  but  the  excite- 
ment generally  proves  too  much,  and  it  is  really  much  later 
than  nsual  before  slumber  settles  over  all.  On  such  occa- 
sions the  Eskimos  have  a  way  of  seeking  a  soothing- 
draught  in  a  big  pipe  of  tobacco,  if  they  happen  to  have  it 
with  them,  for  it  is  by  no  means  so  abundant  among  them 
as  it  is  with  us,  or  even  with  the  savages  of  our  latitude,  as 
their  only  supply  is  from  trade  with  the  whalers  at  exorbi- 
tant rates  of  exchange. 
20 


306  mk;  (iAMi:  <>f  noiitii  America. 

"The  eveniii,i^  before,  the  noisiest  dogs  have  a  muzzle  of 
seal-skin  thongs  tied  around  their  noses,  to  j^revent  their 
making  a  clatter  that  would  frighten  away  the  game,  should 
they,  in  their  wanderings,  come  near  enough  to  the  village 
to  hear  them. 

"  When  the  morning  breaks,  everything  is  activity  and 
bustle.  The  dogs  are  rapidly  harnessed ;  those  that  are  to  be 
used  for  hunting,  or  bringing  the  Musk-oxen  to  bay,  are 
fastened  to  the  sledge  by  a  separate  '  sli2:)i)ing-strap, '  so 
that  they  can  be  taken  out  more  readih'  or  slipped  at  once, 
should  the  game  be  unexi)ectedly  encountered,  as  in  a  fog 
or  heavy  storm.  The  runners  of  the  sledge  are  coated  with 
ice,  that  the  vehicle  may  j^ull  easily  over  the  snows;  and 
when  the  long  lash  of  the  whip  gives  its  first  crack  over  the 
team  of  dogs,  dawn  is  just  emerging  into  daylight  in  the 
east.  As  direct  a  line  is  made  as  possible  to  where  the 
trail  was  seen  the  day  before,  and  the  usual  loudly  resound- 
ing commands  to  the  dogs,  and  the  sharp  cracking  of  the 
whip,  are  subdued  into  much  lower  tones,  for  obvious 
reasons. 

"In  an  Alpine  country  the  sledge  must  wind  consider- 
abh'  to  keej)  on  a  fair  grade;  for  not  only  the  incline  is 
against  making  a  '  bee-line '  for  a  place,  but  to  cut  across 
the  ridges  is  to  expose  the  icy  coating  of  the  sledge-runners 
to  the  rocks  that  peep  through  the  snow  where  the  wind 
has  blown  most  of  it  off,  and  this  is  fatal  to  the  fragile  shoe 
that  is  so  necessary  to  make  rapid  and  easy  going. 

"  Once  arrived  on  the  trail,  a  '  confab '  is  hastily  indulged 
in  as  to  whether  it  is  best  to  follow  with  the  sledges  or  not. 
Within  about  a  mile  is  as  close  as  they  desire  to  have  these 
vehicles  approach  the  game,  unless  everything  is  favorable 
to  their  hunting — as  the  wind  in  their  teeth,  the  sun,  if  low, 
behind  thrir  backs,  etc.  When  the  trail  shows  that  the 
Musk-oxen  are  not  far  ahead — and  a  white  man  will  marvel 
at  the  acuteness  disi)layed  by  these  children  of  the  Xorth 
in  reading  the  signs  on  a  trail  as  truly  as  if  it  were  a  book — 
the  sledge  or  sledg(»s  aie  stopped,  the  hunting-dogs  taken 
therefrom,  and  tlieir  harness-traces,  from  fifteen  to  twenty 


THE   MUSK-OX.  307 

feet  in  length,  liave  tlieir  free  ends,  which  were  before 
attached  to  the  sledge,  tied  to  the  waists  of  the  hunters,  to 
tow  them  along,  as  it  were. 

"The  hunting-dogs  are  not  fed  for  a  day  or  two  before 
the  chase,  if  it  is  known  about  when  it  will  be  likely  to 
take  place,  as  hunger  makes  them  keener  on  the  trail  and 
more  energetic  in  holding  the  animals  at  bay  when  they 
have  once  been  stopped.  It  should  be  said,  however,  that 
•  the  Eskimo  dog  is  only  fed  every  other  day,  even  when 
there  is  plenty,  and  often  only  every  third  day  if  there  be 
but  a  small  su2)ply  in  the  canine  commissary. 

"Each  hunter  takes  from  one  to  three  dogs,  according 
to  the  number  to  be  had,  and  starts  at  once  on  the  trail,  the 
sledge  being  left  with  some  boys;  or,  if  the}'  are  fortunate 
in  having  guns,  and  thus  enjoy  the  coveted  right  of  going 
with  their  elders,  a  couple  of  women,  who  have  come  for 
the  p)urpose,  remain  with  the  sledge,  and  just  enough  dogs 
to  haul  it  conveniently  when  empty,  and  thus  insure  their 
not  running  away  with  it.  The  persons  remaining  behind 
have  orders  to  follow  on  the  trail  slowly,  until  firing  is 
heard,  when  they  are  to  press  forward  with  all  haste. 

"The  hitnters,  with  guns  on  their  shoulders  or  held  in 
their  left  hands,  trot  along,  dragged  by  the  dogs,  and  guid- 
ing them  with  the  right  hand  holding  the  taut  harness- 
traces.  The  gait  slowly  increases  until  it  becomes  a  run 
that  the  most  enduring  i)rofessional  could  not  maintain  a 
hundred  yards  through  such  snow,  if  alone,  but  which 
becomes  easy  with  the  eager,  excited  dogs  tugging  at  the 
traces  around  one's  waist.  In  fact,  it  becomes  hard  to  avoid 
running,  and  running  like  a  Deer,  after  one  gets  under 
headway,  the  only  exertion  necessary  being  to  simply  raise 
the  feet,  while  the  dogs  furnish  all  the  motive  joower  that  is 
needed,  and  oftentimes  a  great  deal  more  than  is  wanted. 

"If  the  uninitiated  Mmrod  should  fall,  and  he  is 
attached  to  two  or  three  good  dogs,  the  speed  will  not 
materially  slacken  on  that  account,  although  he  may  break 
a  few  ribs  on  the  projecting  stones.  His  only  chance  of 
escape  is  by  unslipping  the  dogs,  which  he  has  been  warned 


308  lUO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA.  , 

u  score  of  times  ugaiiist  doing  until  the  Musk-oxen  are  in 
sight.  It  is  wonderful  how  far  and  how  easily  one  can  run 
in  this  waj',  and  if  the  leg-muscles  are  in  good  condition  it 
takes  hut  a  few  minutes  to  place  a  number  of  miles  to  one's 
credit. 

""  When  the  advanced  hunters  sight  the  game,  they  wait 
only  until  they  see  it  start  in  flight,  when,  with  a  dexterous 
twist,  the  slip-knot  is  thrown,  and  the  dogs  are  let  loose 
to  bring  the  cattle  to  bay  as  soon  as  possible.  These  hunt-, 
ing-dogs  will  not  bark  until  they  are  thus  loosened  (it  is 
this  distinction  solely  that  makes  a  good  or  bad  Musk-ox 
hunter,  and  wliether  he  shall  go  on  the  trail  or  be  left  with 
the  sledge),  and  then  they  send  forth  the  loudest  hayings 
that  ever  came  from  dogs'  throats,  especially  when  the 
Musk-oxen  have  formed  a  circle  of  defense,  and  the  dogs 
have  formed  another  circle  around  them. 

"  It  is  a  singular  sensation  when  one  slips  his  dogs  from 
their  hold  around  his  waist.  From  feeling  as  if  he  had 
wings  and  were  flying  along  the  ground  without  eft'ort,  it 
now  seems  as  if  his  gun  had  suddenly  changed  to  a  flfteen- 
inch  columbiad,  and  his  feet  feel  as  if  encased  in  leaden 
boots.  Although  he  may  be  within  a  hundred  yards  of 
the  bayed  beasts,  and  may  have  run  a  mile  to  get  there, 
that  mile  will  have  been  easier  than  the  short  distance  he 
has  ahead  of  him.  Yet,  if  he  waits  to  slip  the  dogs  until  he 
is  wiiere  he  wants  to  stop,  the  knot  ma}'  suddenly  become 
unaccommodating,  and  if  the  dogs  dragged  him  right  up 
to  the  interior  line  of  battle,  his  huge  form  would  be  sure 
to  invite  a  charge  from  the  nearest  bull,  that  might  end 
disastrously. 

••  In  another  wMy  the  more  pugnacious  dogs  are  liable  to 
be  treated  to  a  genuine  surprise  from  some  equally  pugna- 
cious Musk-bull  that,  charging  him,  gets  the  dog  s  long, 
flowing  harness-trace  under  his  feet  and  manages  to  keep 
it  thei'e  for  tliree  or  four  steps,  or  until  he  is  so  close 
that  tlie  dog  can  not  escajie,  when  he  is  given  an  aerial 
ascent  that  may  be  repeated  several  times  if  he  be  not 
lucky  in  getting  his  feet  under  him  when  he  alights,  or 


THE  MUSK-OX.  3()9 

until  some  hunter  shoots  the  juggling  brute  that  is  tossing 
the  dog  on  its  horns.  There  are  some  good  Musk-ox 
hunting-dogs  that  seem  to  be  alvvaj^s  getting  into  this 
sort  of  trouble,  and  their  owners  then  learn  to  tie  their 
harness-traces  in  a  bundle  on  their  backs,  just  before  they 
slip  them. 

"When  the  native  hunters  reach  the  herd  they  make 
sure  of  every  shot,  as  the  only  danger  is  in  wounding 
an  animal,  which,  by  its  frantic  efforts,  might  stampede  the 
herd,  and  they  are  then  exceedingly  hard  to  bring  to  bay 
again;  for  not  only  are  they  more  wary,  but  the  dogs  are 
hard  to  coax  away  from  the  bodies  of  the  first  victims  to 
pursue  the  others.  With  Winchester  rifles,  such  as  my 
party  had,  a  herd  would  go  down  like  the  typical  grain 
before  a  reaper,  and  the  tragedy  would  soon  be  over;  but 
with  muzzle-loaders,  and  one  or  two  hunters  to  a  large  herd, 
it  is  slower  and  correspondingly  more  careful,  but  also 
more  exciting  work.  Some  of  the  bravest  of  them,  in  the 
days  before  fire-arms,  would,  knife  in  hand,  pass  through 
the  circle  of  defense,  fatally  stabbing  an  animal  at  each 
passage  until  all  were  down.  The  battle  over,  the  hides 
and  horns  are  secured,  and  the  party  returns  to  its  snow^- 
village." 

And  now  to  return  to  the  experience  of  our  own  party 
in  hunting  this  game: 

■  When,  in  the  afternoon  of  August  11,  1881,  the  good 
steamship  Proteus^  having  on  board  the  members  of  the 
Lady  Franklin  Bay  Expedition  (of  which  I  was  a  mem- 
ber). Lieutenant  (now  General)  Greely  commanding,  neared 
Discovery  Harbor,  in  Ladj^  Frankjin  Bay,  we  caught  the 
fu'st  sight  of  one  of  these  remarkable  and  little-known  ani- 
mals, grazing  on  the  steep  sides  of  Cairn  Hill.  With  his 
long,  shaggy,  matted  hair  and  short  legs,  he  looked,  at  this 
distance,  somewhat  like  a  huge  caterpillar,  as  he  slowly 
moved  about,  picking  uj)  his  food — dryas  octo2)etaIa,  saxi- 
fraga  ojypositifolia,  salLv  arctica,  and  here  and  there  a  tuft 
of  grass.    A  party  of  us  started  at  once  to  capture  this,  our 


310  BIO  gamp:  of  north  America. 

first  Musk-ox.  After  a  short  but  exciting  chase,  during 
which  the  ox  retreated  higher  up  the  hill,  he  was  bi'ought 
down  by  a  well-directed  shot  fired  by  Mr.  White,  the  boat- 
swain of  the  Proteus^  who,  being  provided  with  an  ice-gaff 
(a  pole  about  ten  feet  long,  with  a  sharp  iron  point  and 
hook  attached),  was  in  better  condition  to  climb  the  steep 
cliffs  than  the  other  members  of  the  hunting-party.  The 
l)rize  proved  to  be  a  large  old  bull,  and  we  estimated  his 
gross  weight  at  a  little  over  six  hundred  pounds,  though  he 
probablj^  did  not  dress  more  than  four  hundred,  owing 
to  the  heavy  head,  skin,  and  other  offal. 

While  we  were  carrying  the  meat  on  board  the  vessel, 
Lieutenant  Lockwood,  with  two  other  members  of  the 
expeditionary  force,  chased  ten  more  Musk-oxen  to  the 
summit  of  a  large  hill  on  the  south  side  of  Mount  Carmel, 
where  they  came  to  ba}'  and  were  dispatched  in  short  order. 
This  was  a  favorable  beginning,  assuring  us  a  fresh-meat  sup- 
ply for  some  time  to  come,  and  augured  well  for  the  future. 

The  Musk-oxen,  when  scenting  danger,  always  retreat  to 
some  elevation  near  by,  and  upon  the  approach  of  the 
enemy  they  form  in  a  perfect  line,  theii*  heads  toward  their 
foe-  or,  if  attacked  at  more  than  one  point,  they  form  a  cir- 
cle, their  glaring,  blood-shot  eyes  restlessly  watching  the 
attack;  and  I  think  it  would  go  hard  with  the  man  or  beast 
who,  under  such  circumstances,  might  come  within  reach  of 
their  broad  horns  or  hard  hoofs. 

I  had  several  oi)portunities  of  observing  these  maneuvers 
during  my  trip  with  Lieutenant  Greeh^  into  the  interior  of 
Griiinell  Land,  in  the  summer  of  1882.  On  this  trip  we 
saw  hundreds  of  these  animals  quietly  grazing  in  the  val- 
leys along  Lake  Hazen,  and  there  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind 
but  that  they  remain  there  all  through  the  year,  as  their 
food  can  be  found  there  in  abundance.  We  passed  close 
to  some  herds,  which,  on  these  level  grounds,  on  sight- 
ing us,  would  form  in  line  with  the  promptness  and  pre- 
cision of  trained  cavalry,  and  slowly  wheel  as  we  passed, 
their  heads  always  fronting  us.  until  we  had  passed  to  a 
safe  distance. 


THE    MUSK-OX.  811 

They  are  easy  to  approach  and  kill,  and  when  a  party  of 
skillful  and  well-armed  hunters  find  a  herd  of  these  ani- 
mals, it  is  seldom  that  one  of  the  latter  escapes  alive, 
unless,  for  some  reason,  the  hunters  do  not  wish  to  kill 
them  all.  This  result  is  largely  due  to  their  habit  of 
standing  at  bay,  as  already  described;  and  even  if  they  do 
stampede  (which  rarely  happens),  they  will,  in  the  majority 
of  instances,  soon  return  to  the  place  where  one  or  more  of 
their  comrades  have  been  killed.  Sergeant  Long  once 
found  a  herd  of  thirteen  Musk-oxen  at  the  head  of  St. 
Patrick's  Bay,  and  succeeded  in  killing  nine  of  them  and 
wounding  another.  The  other  three  only  escaped  on 
account  of  Long's  ammunition  having  given  out. 

The  most  exciting  chase  after  these  animals  in  which  I 
participated  occurred  on  June  13,  1882,  on  which  day  Ser- 
geant Connell  killed  two  Musk-oxen  within  a  mile  of  the 
station.  While  carrj'ing  the  meat  of  these  animals  to  our 
quarters,  we  discovered  a  herd  of  them  on  the  summit  of 
the  Sugar  Loaf,  about  eighteen  hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 
Lieutenant  Kislingbury,  Frederick,  Cross,  Linn,  and  myself 
started  at  once  to  capture  them.  We  deployed,  and  Cross 
came  upon  them  first;  but  they  showed  such  a  bold  front  that 
he  was  afraid  to  attack  them  alone,  and  cautiously  retreated 
until  Kislingbury  and  myself  came  up,  when,  togethei",  we 
killed  five  of  them  in  short  order.  At  this  juncture,  we 
discovered  that  there  were  four  little  calves,  about  four 
weeks  old,  which  we  decided  to  capture  alive.  Two  cow^s 
were  still  left,  and  we  shot  them  so  as  to  cri^jple  tlienij  thus 
preventing  their  escape.  We  then  surrounded  the  calves. 
Lieutenant  Kislingbury  keeping  his  eye  on  one  of  the 
wounded  cows,  while  I  covered  the  other,  so  that  we  might 
dispatch  them  in  case  they  showed  light.  Tliree  of  the 
calves  were  captured  quite  easily,  but  the  fourth  was 
wild,  and  an  exciting  chase  was  the  result.  We  killed  the 
two  wounded  cows,  and  then  tried  to  encircle  the  remaining 
calf,  which,  how^ever,  always  found  some  means  of  escax)e, 
until  at  last  it  jumped  into  the  arms  of  Frederick,  who 
commenced  shouting  joyfully  over  his  success. 


312 


HIO    GAMK   OF   NOKTII   AMERICA. 


But  the  fun  wa.s  not  yet  over,  for  the  calf  was  strong, 
and  threw  Frederick  to  the  ground.  He,  however,  held 
phiekily  on,  and  tlie  two  came  rolling  down  tlie  steep  hill 
together,  when  I  luckily  stopped  them  before  they  got 
fairly  under  way,  otherwise  this  would  have  been  Freder- 
ick's last  hunt  on  this  side  of  the  dark  river.  We  carried 
the  four  calves  to  the  station,  where  they  were  tenderly 
cared  for.  Sergeants  Long  and  Frederick  being  the  self- 
elected  nurses.  The  calves  were  fed  on  condensed  milk, 
oatmeal,  soaked  crackers,  etc.,  and  seemed  to  thrive  very 
well  at  iirst;  but  as  no  vessel  came  in  1882,  when  the 
cold  winter  months  set  in  they  died,  one  after  the  other. 
The  first  one  to  die  was  Frederick's  pet,  which  he  had 
named  "John  Henry,"  although  it  was  a  female.  One  of 
our  brute  dogs  had  chased  and  bitten  it,  injuring  its  shoul- 
der, which  caused  it  to  die  shortly  after.  The  other  calves 
seemed  to  pine  away  after  that,  and  on  October  7tli  the 
last  one  died,  and  our  hope  of  enriching  the  menagerie  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  with  a  live  Musk-ox  died 
with  it. 


STILL-HUNTING  THE  ANTELOPE. 


By  Arthur  W.  du  Bray  ("Gaucho"). 


HAVE  been  requested  by  our  brother  sportsman, 
"Coquina,"  to  write  a  chapter  for  his  book,  and 
I  have  been  .intrusted  with  the  one  on  the  Antelope. 
<^  I  therefore  cheerfully  submit  the  following,  and 
throw  myself  on  the  tender  mercies  of  my  readers,  know- 
ing that  several  men  who  have  written  on  this  beautiful 
and  interesting  animal  before  me  have  left  little  that  is 
new  to  be  said.  Still,  I  have  had  an  extensive  experience 
in  hunting  and  studying  the  Antelope,  and  trust  that  I 
may  be  able  to  give  some  hints  and  suggestions  that  may 
be  useful  to  beginners  in  this  most  delightful  sport. 

The  Antelope  is  one  of  the  wariest  and  fleetest  animals 
on  this  continent,  and  the  sportsman  who  would  hunt  it 
successfully  must  study,  carefully  and  patiently,  its  nature, 
habits,  and  characteristics.  A  brief  description  of  it  may 
not  be  amiss  here,  and  this  can  not  be  given  more  tersely  or 
accurately  than  in  the  words  of  that  careful  naturalist  and 
graceful  writer,  the  Hon,  John  Dean  Caton,  who,  on  pages 
22  and  23  of  his  charming  book,  "The  Antelope  and  Deer 
of  America,"  says: 

lis  size  is  loss  than  that  of  tlie  Virginia  Deer.  Its  form  is  robust;  body 
short;  neck  short,  flexible,  and  erect;  head  large  and  elevated;  horns  hollow 
and  deciduous,  with  a  short,  triangular,  anterior  process  about  midway  their 
length,  compressed  laterally  below  the  snag,  and  round  above — horns  situate 
on  the  superior  orbital  arches;,  tail  short;  legs  rather  short,  slim,  and  straight; 
hoofs  bifid,  small,  pointed,  convex  on  top  and  concave  on  sides.  No  cutaneous 
gland  or  tuft  of  hairs  on  outside  of  hind  leg.  No  lachrymal  sinus  or  gland 
below  the  eye.  Mucous  membrane  very  black.  Lips  covered  with  short. 
white  hairs,  with  a  black,  naked  dividing-line  in  front  of  upper  lip, 
extending  from  the  mouth  to  and  surrounding  both  nostrils.  Face  brownisii- 
black,  with  sometimes  reddish  hairs  ujion  it.     Top  of  head,  above  the  eyes, 

C  313  ) 


314  IJKi    CiA.ME   OF    NOKTII    AMP:KIC'A. 

white;  cliccks  uiid  uniler  side  of  head,  white.  Ears  white,  with  dark  line 
aroiiud  the  edges — most  pronounced  on  front  edges;  a  brown-black  patch  under 
eacli  ear.  Horns  black,  with  yellowish-white  tips.  Top  and  sides  of  neck,  the 
l)ack  and  ujiper  half  of  sides,  russet-j'ellow;  below  this,  white,  except  usually 
three  bands  of  russet-yellow  beneath  the  neck;  white  extending  up  from  the 
uiguinal  region,  involving  the  posteriors,  uniting  with  a  white  patch  on  the 
rump.  Tail  white,  with  a  few  tawny  hairs  on  top.  There  is  an  interdigital 
gland  on  each  foot,  a  cutaneous  gland  under  each  ear,  another  over  each  promi- 
nence of  the  hchium,  another  behind  each  hock,  and  one  on  the  back  at  the 
anterior  edge  of  the  white  patch;  in  all,  eleven. 

As  to  the  habitat  of  the  Antelope,  Judge  Caton  says: 

We  have  no  account  or  evidence  that  the  Prong  Buck  was  ever  an  inhab- 
itant east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  it  only  reached  that  river  in  the  higher 
latitudes.  It  is  now  (1881)  found  only  west  of  the  Missouri  River.  Westward, 
it  originally  inhabited  all  the  region  to  the  Pacitic  Ocean,  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  United  States,  except  the  wooded  districts  and  high  mountain 
ranges.  It  was  very  abundant  in  California  twenty-five  years  ago.  ]\Iy  infor- 
mation is  full  that  they  were  equally  numerous  throughout  all  the  valleys  and 
open  country  of  that  State.  They  were  by  no  means  uncommon  in  the  open 
portions  of  Oregon.  They  are  very  scarce,  if  any  exist,  in  that  State  now,  and 
California  is  at  this  time  almost  deserted  by  them.  Their  native  range 
extends  from  the  tropics  to  the  fifty-fourth  degree  of  north  latitude.  Within 
the  described  limits,  they  do  not  invade  the  timbered  country  or  the  high, 
naked  mountains.  Their  favorite  haunts  are  the  naked  plains  or  barren,  rolling 
country.  If  they  endure  scattering  trees  in  a  park-like  region,  or  scanty 
shrubs,  forests  possess  such  terrors  for  them  that  these  animals  avoid  them  at 
any  sacrifice. 

There  are  many  points  in  the  natural  history  of  this 
strange  animal  that  I  should  like  to  dwell  npon  here,  but 
space  forbids.  Many  of  its  traits,  habits,  and  peculiarities 
are,  however,  brought  out  in  the  following  pages,  in  narrat- 
ing my  experience,  and  that  of  others,  in  hunting  it;  but 
for  a  further  and  closer  study  of  the  animal  than  it  is  pos- 
sible to  give  in  the  space  allotted  me  here,  I  must  refer  the 
retider  to  tlie  work  quoted  above. 

September,  October,  and  November  are  the  best  and,  in 
fact,  the  only  proper  months  in  which  to  hunt  the  Antelope 
in  the  Northwest;  but  in  the  far  Southwest,  the  legitimate 
setison  maybe  extended  to  include  December.  Whether  or 
not  the  .setison  be  regulated  by  hiw  in  each  State  or  Terri- 
tory, the  true  sportsman  will  not  hunt  game  of  anj^  kind 
for  sport  during  more  than  three  or  four  months  out  of  the 


>  STILL-HUNTING   THE   ANTELOPE.  315 

twelve.  He  will  not  disturb  it  during  its  breeding-season, 
nor  while  rearing  its  young.  Nor  will  he,  as  a  rule,  take 
advantage  of  deep  snows  to  pursue  and  kill  it  when  it  is 
unable  to  escape  him,  or  to  have  at  least  a  fair  show  for  its 
life. 

As  to  the  best  ann  for  Antelope-hunting,  there  is  great 
diversity  of  opinion  among  old  prairie  hunters,  some  pre- 
ferring one  weapon  and  some  another,  each  proclaiming 
emphatically  that  his  favorite  is  the  best;  and  the  question 
will  probably  never  be  definitely  settled  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all  concerned. 

I  will  say,  for  myself,  that  I  am  perfectly  familiar  with 
most  of  the  popular  makes  of  English  rifles,  shotguns,  and 
pistols,  and  that  for  my  own  choice  I  prefer  the  American 
repeater  and  revolver  to  any  of  foreign  make.  The  former 
are  fully  as  safe,  accurate,  and  convenient,  and  as  good  in 
every  way,  as  game-killers  or  weapons  of  defense,  as  any 
made  in  the  Old  World,  while,  in  my  humble  opinion,  the 
Winchester  repeater  and  Smith  k  Wesson  revolver  stand 
at  the  head  of  the  list  of  fire-arms,  for  general  usefulness. 
The  latter,  aside  from  its  intrinsic  value  and  merit,  is  by 
far  the  handsomest  pistol  made. 

It  would  be  absurd  to  compare  a  Winchester  rifle,  in 
point  of  appearance,  with  a  Purdy  Express,  the  former 
costing  from  816  to  $35,  while  the  latter  pulls  the  purse- 
string  to  the  tune  of  say  8500;  but  let  both  be  tried  as 
game-killers,  and  nine  riflemen  out  of  ten  will  do  better 
execution  when  they  have  from  five  to  ten  shots  at  their 
fingers'  ends  than  if  only  two.  And  in  the  event  of  being 
corraled  by  Indians,  an  old-fashioned  44  Winchester, 
with  its  sixteen  shots  to  draw  on,  is  worth  more  than  any 
number  of  double  guns;  for,  after  all,  those  pistol-charges 
are  spiteful,  and  the  bullets  are  ugly  things  to  stop  with 
one's  hide  at  three  or  four  hundred  yards,  as  many  a  poor 
fellow  has  found  out. 

Furthermore,  I  regard  the  Lyman  front  and  rear  sights 
as  indispensable  to  a  game  rifle — as  much  so  as  its  hammer 
or  mainspring;  for  although  f)ne  may  kill  lots  of  game  with 


010  BIO   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMERICA. 

open  sights,  j^et  let  the  Lyman  once  be  tried,  and  its  great 
advantages  will  become  apj)arent. 

With  this,  by  way  of  i)reface,  I  will  j)roceed  with  some 
reminiscences  of  hunting  experiences  on  the  great  plains, 
and  meantime  will  give  some  hints  as  to  how  best  to  hunt 
the  game  in  question;  for,  notwithstanding  the  relentless 
war  that  has  been  waged  against  the  wary  little  denizen  of 
the  plains,  there  are  localities  where  he  may  still  be  found 
in  sufficient  numbers  to  afford  good  sport. 

'' Liver- Eating  Johnson,"  guide,  scout,  hunter  and  trap- 
l^er,  prairie-man,  Indian-fighter,  thoroughly  educated  and 
equii)ped  frontiersman  at  every  point,  graduate  at  the  head 
of  his  class  in  prairie  lore — withal,  a  long-headed,  cool,  and 
calculating  man — once  said  to  me  while  hunting:  "  What  a 
live  Antelope  don' t  see  between  dawn  and  dark  isn'  t  visible 
from  his  stand-point;  and  while  you're  a  gawkin'  at  him 
thro'  that  'ere  glass  to  make  out  whether  he's  a  rock  or  a 
Goat,  he's  acountin"  your  cartridges  and  fixin's,  and  makin' 

11  J)  his  mind  wliich  way  he'll  scoot  when  you  disappear  in 
the  draw  for  to  sneak  on  'im — and  don't  you  forget  it." 
Bear  reader,  pardon  me  for  adding,  "And  don't  you  forget 
it,  either." 

The  ostrich,  with  his  vaunted  power  of  vision,  is  com- 
jiaratively  near-sighted  when  compared  with  the  Antelope. 
The  Giraffe  may  excel  him,  not  from  having  sui)erior  ej'es, 
but  from  their  greater  elevation,  and  therefoi-e  greater 
scope.  The  Deer  is  sim2)ly  nowhere  in  this  respect.  Even 
when  in  tlie  habit  of  roaming  on  the  prairie,  he  has  not  the 
knack  of  detecting  an  intruder  "on  sight"  as  an  Antelope 
has.  I  never  had  any  trouble  in  getting  within  two  hun- 
divd  yaids  of  an  ostrich,  in  any  decent  place;  yet,  with 
years  of  expeiience  on  these,  and  a  great  deal  of  other 
prairie-shooting,  1  at  lirst  found  it  difficult  to  get  within 
six  hundred  yards  of  an  Antelope,  and  then  it  was  invari- 
ably a  wide-awake  (me,  fully  al)le  to  take  care  of  himself — 
generally  on  the  trot  or  zigzagging  about,  craning  his  neck 
to  find  out,  I  su]»i)()se,  according  to  Johnson's  theory, 
whether  mv  uun  was  reallv  loaded  with  a  ball  or  blank 


->  STILL-HUNTING   THE   ANTELOPE.  317 

cartridge.  In  certain  localities  remote  from  the  haunts  of 
man,  they  are  comparatively  tame,  and  may  at  first  appear 
stupid  and  dull  at  "catching  on.''  But  just  try  them 
where  they  have  been  hunted,  and  then  report.  My  word 
for  it,  they  will  be  found  quite  shar^D  enough  to  make  it 
interesting. 

During  the  summers  and  falls  of  1878  and  1879  I  did 
nothing  but  shoot,  and  Antelojje  received  the  greater  part 
of  my  attention.  Having  killed  over  two  hundred  and  forty 
by  actual  count,  I  think  that,  at  any  rate,  I  gained  some 
valuable  experience,  some  of  which  I  will  try  to  impart. 
The  principal  thing  is  to  keep  out  of  sight.  Don't  delude 
yourself  with  the  idea  that  because  a  band  is  a  coui^le  of 
miles  away,  apparently  feeding,  and  all  with  their  heads 
down,  none  are  on  the  lookout,  and  that  you  may  ride  up  a 
little  closer  and  then  'keep  out  of  sight.  That  won't  do;  I 
know  it  to  my  sorrow.  The  chances  are  ten  to  one  that 
they  will  see  you  long  before  you  see  them,  and  although 
they  may  not  move  at  first,  still  they  are  on  the  qui  vice, 
and  if  you  get  a  close  shot  after  having  shown  yourself, 
why,  just  score  it  down  as  luck. 

My  advice  is  to  always  hunt  over  broken  ground  and 
undulating  prairie,  for  although  you  don' t  see  a-s  many  Ante- 
loi^e  there  as  on  level  ground,  still  the  chances  are  about 
twenty  to  one  in  your  favor,  as  against  the  level  country, 
when  you  do  come  across  a  band.  Again,  remember  that 
when  you  reach  the  summit  of  the  hill  your  horse's  head 
is  in  plain  sight  before  you  can  look  in  the  hollow  beyond; 
so,  if  you  are  too  lazy  to  dismount,  alwa\  s  skirt  along  the 
ridge  for  a  few  yards,  stand  well  up  in  your  stirrups,  and 
take  a  good  look.  But  this  is  the  lazy  and  unprofitable  style, 
and  generally  before  you  can  check  your  horse  the  Antelope 
have  seen  you;  and  that  settles  it.  So  the  best  Avay  is  to 
dismount;  lead  your  horse,  with  a  good  long  lariat,  so  he 
will  be  some  yards  behind  you;  take  off  your  liat  (which, 
by  the  way,  is  also  visible  before  you  can  see,  your  eyes 
being  lower  than  the  crown),  and  go  slawly  up  until  you  can 
just  see  well  into  the  ravines  and  on  the  hill-sides  beyond. 


318  BIG   (}AME   OF   NOKTII    AMEPJCA. 

Don't  be  in  a  liurry.  Take  a  cautious  survey,  as  during 
tlie  day  it  often  liappens  that  an  old  buck  is  lying  down 
sunning  himself  on  some  gentle  slope,  when  he  may  easily 
be  mistaken  for  a  stone;  or  perhaps  a  whole  band  may  be 
feeding  or  wandering  through  these  ravines,  right  under 
30U,  or  deep  down  where  the  grass  is  freshest.  This  is  more 
likely  to  be  the  case  in  the  fall  months,  when  the  jirairie 
grass  on  the  level  and  high  ground  has  become  sun-dried 
and  cured,  in  which  case  Antelope,  and  in  fact  all  herbiv- 
orous animals,  prefer  the  short  grass,  which  is  more  tender 
in  low,  damp  ground. 

If  by  good  fortune  you  should  chance  to  see  one  or  more, 
walk  back  to  your  horse.  Don't  pull  him  up  to  where  you 
are.  Take  off  your  picket-pin,  drive  it  in  firmly  with  your 
heel,  and  be  sure  it  is  straight,  as  then  it  will  hold  better. 
Fasten  your  horse  securely,  and  commence  3'our  stalking. 
After  the  horse  is  well  oft  your  hands,  then  you  are  all 
right;  but  be  sure  before  you  leave  him  that  he  can't  get 
away,  or  when  you  come  back  you  may  find  your  horse 
has  disappeared,  and  then,  as  frequently  liappens,  you  may 
be  fifteen  miles  from  cam]),  which  is  quite  a  long  walk, 
besides  losing  your  saddle  and  accouterments;  for  although 
the  horse  may  turn  up,  you  will  generalh^  hear  from  the 
party  who  has  found  him  that  lie  was  stri^iped.  Whether 
he  was  or  not,  that  is  generally  the  story,  so  it  pays  to  have 
the  horse  both  tied  and  hobbled. 

Now  go  steadily;  keep  the  wind  Avell  in  your  face,  and, 
if  necessary,  do  the  very  best  creeping  you  can.  Get  as 
close  as  possible,  and  don't  shoot  if  you  can't  get  within 
three  hundred  yards.  Xever  mind  what  you  have  done  at  a 
target,  or  what  you  see  in  j^rint  about  long  shots,  and  all 
that.  I  lune  seen  dozens  of  as  tine  rifle-shots  as  ever  put  a 
rifle  to  shoulder,  and  I  never  saw  a  man  yet  who  could  count 
on  an  Anr<'l()})e  at  more  than  three  hundred  yards.  Remem- 
ber, it  is  fully  equal  to  ;i  live-point  in  an  eight-inch  ring. 
Besides,  if  you  miss  this  shot,  you  may  at  the  same  time 
scare  away  more  game  than  you  have  seen  in  a  week;  so 
be  steady.     After  crawling  about  and   dragging  yourself 


STILL-HUNTING   THE    ANTELOPE.  319 

snake-fashion,  it  is  well  to  take  a  good  rest  before  firing, 
for,  although  you  may  think  yourself  steady,  cool,  and 
in  good  wind,  it  may  only  be  over-anxiety;  so  Just  hold 
on  a  few  minutes;  scan  the  ground  deliberately;  calculate 
your  distance;  make  all  due  allowances;  push  your  gun 
forward,  and,  if  a  single-shot,  place  another  cartridge  in 
your  mouth,  bullet-end  in;  take  good,  steady  aim,  and — 
pull. 

Reload  your  gun  instantly,  whether  the  game  is  down  or 
not.  Another  animal  may  jump  up  that  you  had  not 
seen.  Better  to  be  always  ready,  and  accustom  yourself  to 
do  all  the  waiting,  for  an  Antelope  has  not  much  patience; 
and  if  only  hit  through  the  paunch,  leg,  haunch,  or  in  fact 
anywhere  but  in  a  vital  spot,  he  can  still  outrun  any  ordi- 
nary horse — even  on  three  legs.  In  fact,  I  have  seen  some 
make  it  quite  interesting  for  a  cavalry-horse  on  two  sound 
legs  and  a  stumj).  Again,  if  only  wounded,  although  fatally, 
he  will  be  sure  to  go  as  far  as  he  can,  and  then  all  your 
Avork  may  only  result  in  providing  a  square  meal  for 
a  Coyote,  and  no  saddles  to  show  for  it.  So,  I  repeat,  get 
as  close  as  possible,  and  make  as  near  a  "dead-center"  as 
you  know  how;  and  with  all  these  XJrecautions,  many  a  one 
will  get  away  without  a  scratch. 

Just  behind  the  shoulder,  and  a  little  low,  is  the  best 
place  to  hold  for.  When  on  the  run,  shoot  well  ahead  and 
low,  as  a  bullet  that  passes  over  an  animal  is  lost,  whereas 
one  that  goes  low,  even  if  too  low,  stands  a  chance  of  break- 
ing a  leg;  besides,  the  failing  is,  and  always  has  l^een,  to 
overshoot,  especially  when  taking  quick  shots. 

Although  trained,  since  a  mere  boy  of  fourteen,  to  shoot 
at  running  and  flying  game  with  the  rifle,  I  still  And  myself, 
even  though  trying  at  all  times  to  guard  against  it,  shoot- 
ing entirely  too  high.  It  is  just  as  natural  for  a  man  to 
take  in  half  of  his  front  sight  above  the  hind  one  as  it 
is  to  get  behind  on  very  fast-moving  objects.  Indeed,  it  is 
extremely  difficult,  unless  when  shooting  through  a  Lj^man 
rear  sight,  to  knoA\*  just  how  much  or  how  little  of  the 
sights  are  taken  in;  for  it  all  has  to  be  done  quickly,  and 


320  BIO  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

* 

tile  mind  is  so  intent  on  the  lead  that  the  elevation  is  apt 
to  be^overlooked — no  jjun  intended. 

The  vitality  of  the  Antelope,  considering  its  size  and 
weight,  is  truly  wonderful.  There  is  absolutely  no  give-up 
in  them ;  and  many  a  man  has  worn  out  a  good  horse  in 
trying  to  run  down  one  minus  a  leg,  or  one  that  had  been 
shot  clear  through  by  several  large  bullets,  any  one  of 
which  would  have  killed  a  Deer  on  the  spot.  I  have  killed 
many  an  Antelope  with  one  solid  bullet;  but,  again,  I  have 
put  two  or  three  of  these  through  many  another  that  went 
off  like  the  wind,  as  though  he  had  only  been  frightened. 
That  these  poor  creatures  died  from  the  effects  of  their 
wounds  is  very  certain,  but  it  is  equally  true  that  I,  at  least, 
never  got  a  j)ound  of  the  meat;  so,  as  I  was  hunting  for 
food  as  well  as  recreation,  I  gave  up  solid  bullets  alto- 
gether, and  confined  myself  to  liollow-pointed  ones  exclu- 
sively. A  fairer  test  of  ammunition  could  not  have  been 
made,  as  I  used  the  same  rille  and  powder-charge — every- 
thing exactly  the  same,  but  simply  substituting  a  hollow- 
pointed  for  a  solid  bullet;  yet  the  difference  in  the  execu- 
tion was  so  striking  that  the  most  casual  observer  must 
have  noticed  it.  I  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  I  shot 
closer  to  vital  spots  than  before;  nor  did  I  get  closer  shots, 
nor  more  of  them.  The  dead  Antelope,  though,  were  there 
all  the  same,  proving  conclusively  that,  even  if  not  driven 
by  the  heavy  powder-charge,  nor  fired  through  the  slow- 
twist  grooves,  the  hollow  bullet,  as  a  killer,  is  so  far  suj^erior 
to  the  solid  ball  that  there  is  no  comparison  whatever 
between  them. 

Now,  a  body  hit  meant  a  knock-down,  sure  enough, 
wliile  a  raking  shot— even  at  a  slight  angle— fore  and  aft 
was  always  ji  paralyzing  one,  and  generally  left  the  quarry 
so  nearly  dead  at  the  instant  of  impact  that  a  few  con- 
vulsive kicks  and  spasms  were  all  the  signs  of  life  remain- 
ing; while  many  and  many  a  one  was  instontly  doubled  up 
like  a  rablnt  -struck  lifeless  between  bounds— and  died  a 
truly  i)ainless  deatii.  Indeed,  years  ago,  when  shooting  on 
the  i)ampas  of  South  America,  I  discovered  that  a  Double 


STILL-IIUNTIXO   THE   ANTELOPE.  321 

Express  Westley  Richards  riHe,  forty  caliber,  shooting  100 
to  110  grains  of  Curtiss  &  Harvey  powder,  served  me  just  the 
same  way.  With  this  rifle  I  shot  hundreds  of  small  Deer 
and  ostriches,  but  never,  until  I  used  the  hollow-pointed 
bullet,  was  I  sure  of  my  game  unless  I  hit  it  just  in  the 
right  place.  With  the  Express  ball,  all  places  seemed  more 
or  less  alike,  so  far  as  stopping  further  locomotion  was.con- 
cerned.  The  shock  is  so  terrific  that  no  small  animal  can 
stand  up  under  it,  more  especially,  as  I  said  before,  if  the 
bullet's  course  is  quartering,  for  then  the  animal's  body 
catches  the  full  force  of  the  blow,  aside  froiu  the  tearing 
and  smashing  of  a  ragged-pointed  ball,  carrying  all  before 
it. 

For  Antelope-shooting,  then,  or,  in  fact,  for  any  kind  of 
big  game  shooting,  I  prefer  the  Winchester,  my  choice  being 
the  repeater  of  large  bore,  say  fifty  caliber,  with  its  110-grain 
j)owder-cliarge  and  hollow-pointed,  300-grain  bullet.  Those 
preferring  the  single-shot  need  not  swerve  to  any  other 
make,  as  this  company  makes  the  best  single-shot  rifles,  of 
all  calibers  from  twentj'-two  to  fifty;  and  were  I  using  a 
single-shot  rifle  for  Deer,  Elk,  Bears,  or  Antelope,  my  choice 
would  be  the  forty-five  caliber,  shooting  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  grains  of  powder  and  three  hundred  grains  of 
lead — hollow-pointed  ball.  I  must  frankly  admit,  however, 
that  I  never  could  see  Avhere  any  single  or  double  barreled 
rifle  could,  in  any  way,  compare  with  a  repeater — every 
advantage  clearly  going  to  the  many-shot  rifle. 

I  am  partial  to  the  Winchester  rifles,  for  these  reasons : 
They  are  safe,  accurate,  and  durable;  they  are  made  in  all 
calibers;  they  are  sold  at  prices  within  the  reach  of  all;  as 
repeaters,  they  are  more  reliable  than  any  other  kind  with 
which  I  am  familiar;  as  single-shots,  they  are  quicker  to 
load,  less  liable  to  get  out  of  order,  and,  in  my  judgment, 
just  a  little  better  than  any  other  single-loader  made.  The 
Winchester  Company  has  proved  itself  imbued  with  a 
progressive  spirit,  and  has  catered  to  the  ever- changing 
and  manifold  wants  of  men  of  many  minds  and  divers 
experiences.     It  is,  furthermore,  an  essentially  American 

21 


S'22  \iUi    (JAME   OF    NORTH    AMKTUC'A. 

concern,  and  I  believe  that  Americans  should  patronize 
American  manufacturers.  And,  to  cap  the  climax,  the 
Winchester  is  about  the  onl}'  sporting-rifie  that  has  come 
up  to  the  hypercritical  and  fastidious  scrutiny  of  the  Eng- 
lish sportsmen,  than  whom  none  are  better  judges,  owing 
to  their  early  education  and  vast  experience.  These  men 
shoot  wild  and  dangerous  game  all  over  the  globe,  and 
know  a  good  riHe  when  thej^  see  it.  Moreover,  as  none  but 
the  wealthy  among  them  can  indulge  in  such  sport,  the 
price  paid  for  their  weapons  is  a  matter  of  no  concern  what- 
•ever,  its  absolute  reliability  and  accuracy  being  the  sine 
qua  non  of  the  arm.  When,  therefore,  the  plain  but  thor- 
oughly sound  and  serviceable  AVinchester,  costing  say  £4, 
supplants  the  elaborate  double  rifle  of  twenty  times  its 
value,  something  inherent  to  the  Yankee  rifle  must  be  there 
to  back  it  uj). 

Aside  from  all  this,  memory  carries  me  back  to  many  a 
cabin,  dotting  a  boundless  plain,  where  upright  in  the 
corner  stands  the  king  of  all  rifles — ever-read}^  death-dealer 
— the  Winchester  ;  or,  perhaps,  carelessly  swung  to  the 
antlers  of  some  monarch  of  the  forest,  or  resting  on  those  of 
the  now  extinct  Bison,  together  with  the  buckskin  belt 
studded  with  cartridges,  in  which  also  hangs  the  best,  hand- 
somest, most  accurate  revolver  the  world  has  ever  seen — 
the  Smith  &  Wesson.  These  are  quasi  the  whole,  or,  at 
any  rate,  the  most  valuable  furniture  that  adorns  the 
cheerless  cabin;  but,  of  their  kind,  they  stand  to-day  para- 
mount. On  their  merits  the  hermit  occupant  has  been 
wont,  mayhap,  to  trust  his  life  against  savage  and  beast — - 
not  a  life  the  loss  of  which,  perhaps,  would  be  much 
mourned,  or  over  whose  grave  eloquent  orators,  weeping 
women,  or  frantic  parents  might,  with  untold  grief,  lov- 
ingly and  fondh'  linger,  but  his  life,  liisall.  His  scalp,  his 
hei'd,  and,  if  more  fortunate  than  the  great  ma jority  of  these 
dauntless  pioneers,  his  wife,  his  little  ones,  his  dogs — all 
have  been  taught,  bj'  oft-repeated  lessons  and  never-failing 
deeds,  that  his  selection  of  weapons  has  been  wise,  for  they 
never  have  failed  him  at  the  critical  moment.     With  these 


STILL-HUNTING   THE   ANTELOPE.  323 

weapons  he  may  have  stood  against  human  odds,  or  may 
have  lowered  the  ferocious  Grizzly,  not  with  one  or  two 
shots,  perhaps,  but  by  pouring  in  such  a  deadly  streak  of 
lead  that  nothing  could  stand  before  it. 

Swung  to  the  wagon-bows  of  the  erratic  prairie-schooner, 
exposed  to  rain,  dust,  and  snow,  the  old  Winchester  has 
dangled,  magazine  full  to  the  hopper — taken  down  when 
needed,  now  to  clip  off  the  head  of  duck,  brant,  or  grouse, 
now  to  riddle  Coyote  or  Fox,  now  to  fan  the  tail  of  cun- 
ning Jack  or  fleeing  "Swift;"  now  replaced  in  its  slings 
without  further  ado.  Seldom  cleaned,  and  never  thor- 
oughly so,  yet,  perhaps,  to-morrow  the  lives  of  the  whole 
party  may  depend  on  one  or  two  of  these  deadly  weapons, 
whose  sharp  and  oft-repeated  reports  shall  ring  through 
the  air,  in  contrast  and  defiant  answer  to  the  wild  war- 
whooj)  of  circling,  seldom- visible  savages.  These  are  some 
of  the  reasons  why  I  like  the  Winchester. 

If  I  have  dwelt  at  greater  length  on  the  subject  of  rifles 
than  seems  proper,  I  trust  I  may  be  pardoned.  My  reason 
for  so  doing  is,  that  w^e  frequently  see,  in  our  sportsmen's 
journals,  the  question  asked,  "  Why  is  the  Winchester  such 
a  general  favorite  ? "  I  have  simply  endeavored  to  show 
why  it  is  such;  and  "them's  my  sentiments."  Verily,  I 
could  not  look  on  any  AYinchester  and  say  otherwise;  nor 
could  I  handle  my  old  chum  and  companion,  the  forty-four- 
caliber  Smith  &  Wesson,  that  has  been  so  close  to  me  since 
early  in  the  '70s,  and  that  has  never  failed  me  once. 

A  target-rifle  may  be  better  for  its  purpose  if  narrow  in 
the  bore  than  if  of  large  caliber.  To  merely  perforate  a 
piece  of  linen  or  paper,  a  thirty-t"wo-caliber  may  be  better, 
up  to  two  hundred  yards,  than  a  forty -five  or  fifty  caliber; 
I  believe  it  is.  There  is  less  recoil,  noise,  and  Fourth  of  July 
about  it;  but  when  it  comes  to  up-ending  a  Deer,  Elk,  or 
Bear,  I  greatly  prefer  a  forty-five  or  fifty  caliber,  as  then 
one  pill  is  generally  a  full  dose. 

My  experience  in  killing  large  game  is  identical,  in  many 
particulars,  with  that  of  perhaps  the  ablest  writer  on  such 
topics  that  we  have  in  this  country — I  mean  Mr.    T.    S. 


324  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Vim  Dyke.  I  agree  with  him  that  the  larger  the  bullet  the 
harder  it  hits,  and  so  long  as  the  trajectory  remains  as  flat 
as  may  be,  up  to  two  hundred  yards,  I  am  willing  to  sacri- 
fice a  trifle  in  accuracy  if  I  can  thereby  add  somewhat  to 
the  striking-force.  I  used  a  double  rifle,  of  sixteen-gauge, 
for  some  time  on  Deer,  and  I  can' t  remember  ever  losing  an 
animal  fairly  hit  with  it. 

It  is  absurd  to  taunt  a  man  with  using  a  rifle  of  large  cali- 
ber, and  for  such  critic  to  consider  himself  more  of  a 
sportsman  in  that  he  uses  a  pea-shooter,  for  the  greatest 
desideratum  of  any  humane  man  ought  to  be  to  kill  his  game 
as  quickly  as  possible,  and  not  inflict  hours,  and  perhaps 
days,  of  unnecessary  suffering  on  a  poor,  inoffensive  beast. 
A  small  bullet  certainly  w'ill  kill  a  Deer  or  Antelope  if  it 
hits  him  in  a  vital  spot  and  wdth  suflicient  force;  but  as 
such  shots  are  the  excei)tion  rather  than  the  rule,  when 
taking  all  chances  that  present  themselves,  the  use  of  any- 
thing smaller  than  a  forty  caliber  is,  to  my  mind,  unsports- 
manlike. 

So  long  as  nothing  larger  than  a  Deer  is  to  be  met  with, 
the  forty  caliber  nuiy  do  very  well.  It  is  never  as  good,  how- 
ever, as  the  forty-five  or  fifty.  If  an  occasional  Elk  or 
Bear  is  to  be  encountered,  then  the  50-110-300  repeater 
is  the  j)roper  arm.  A  large  bullet,  striking  an  animal 
spot  for  sx)ot  (in  other  than  vital  places),  is  always  much 
more  effective,  for  the  simple  reasons  that  it  strikes  a 
greater  surface,  is  going  with  much  greater  force,  crushes 
bones  more  effectively',  bleeds  the  animal  more  rapidly,  and 
hence  lets  the  vitality  out  of  it  sooner. 

I  have  not  taken  into  consideration  the  far  greater  degree 
of  danger  attending  the  use  of  the  small-boi'e  rifle;  for  if  a 
man  chooses  to  attack  a  Grizzly  with  a  32-100  caliber,  that 
is  his  own  affair,  and  he  alone  is  taking  the  chances;  but  I 
claim  that  it  is  wanton  cruelty  to  habitually  shoot  at  large 
game  with  a  small-bore  rifle,  since  none  but  center-shots 
kill  on  the  s])()t,  while  all.  or  nearly  all,  wounded  animals 
waiulei-  olf  to  die  a  lingering  death,  especially  where  they 
can  not  bt-  tracked  or  run  down  with  do<i"s. 


STILL-HUNTING  THE   ANTELOPE.  325 

The  claim  put  forth  by  many  small-bore  advocates,  that 
a  large  bullet  tears  and  mutilates  the  game,  is  so  absurd 
and  far-fetched  that  it  ought  not  to  come  into  considera- 
tion, for  the  loss  of  one  wounded  animal,  shot  with  a  small- 
bore rifle,  will  incur  a  greater  loss  of  meat  than  will  the 
killing  of  a  dozen  animals  with  a  large  bore.  The  man  who 
can  plant  his  bullet  wathin  a  couple  of  inches  of  the  desired 
spot,  over  unknown  ranges  extending  through  woods,  over 
prairies  or  mountains,  up  hill  and  dow^n,  say  up  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty  yards,  at  either  stationary  or  moving  ani- 
mals, may  shoot  a  tliirty-two-caliber  rifle  a  whole  season 
and  not  lose  much  game.  The  question  is.  Does  such  a  man 
exist  ?    He  often  claims  that  he  does,  but  I  doubt  it. 

For  Antelope-shooting,  as  a  specialty,  a  forty-five  or  fifty 
caliber  rifle,  fitted  with  the  Lyman  sights,  is,  in  my  judg- 
ment, the  very  best.  It  need  not  perforce  be  a  repeater — 
though  that  is  ahvays  a  decided  advantage.  One  may  get 
into  a  band,  and  by  being  cool,  a  good  marksman,  and  a 
good  judge  of  distance,  he  may,  with  a  repeater,  bowl  over 
several  before  they  get  out  of  range,  though  I  must  confess 
that  to  hit  an  Antelope,  running,  at  anything  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards,  is  either  i)roof  positive  of  superb 
shooting,  or,  much  more  generally,  X)roof  of  a  lucky  scratch. 

I  once  saw  an  Indian  scout,  young  War  Eagle,  creep 
up  to  within  fifty  yards  of  a  band  of  five  AntelojDe,  and  kill 
them  all  in  seven  shots.  As  this  performance  was  w-it- 
nessed  by  the  whole  column  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  I  don't 
hesitate  to  relate  it;  wliile  had  I,  unobserved,  performed  a 
similar  feat  a  dozen  times,  I  doubt  if  I  could  muster  up  the 
audacity  to  assert  it.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  have  several 
times  worked  my  wa}",  on  hands  and  knees,  to  within  a 
short  distance  of  bands  of  Antelope,  but  never  have  I  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  more  than  three  at  one  time,  though  I 
always  had  a  much  l^etter  rifie  than  the  one  War  Eagle 
used,  to  say  nothing  of  vastly  superior  ammunition.  The 
fact  is,  I  could  not  make  my  bullets  connect  with  the  game 
so  often,  for  an  Antelope  will  scamper  over  a  long  stretch 
of  country  in  a  short  time,  and,  as  they  are  not  generally 


326  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

found  on  dead-level  ground — at  least,  one  can  seldom  get 
close  to  them  in  such  a  place  -one  has  to  make  nice  calcu- 
lations, after  the  lirst  shot,  as  to  where  the  sprightly  fellow 
will  be  wlien  the  ball  reaches  him.  Allowance  must  be 
made  for  the  time  it  will  take,  and  then,  again,  other  angles, 
from  the  uneven  lay  of  the  land,  etc. 

I  once  got  into  a  hot  corner,  while  Anteloj)e-shooting, 
that  I  am  not  at  all  likely  to  forget.  I  was  out  with  the 
Seventh  Cavalry  (Custer's  regiment),  on  our  way  up  the 
Missouri  River.  I  don't  remember  how  many  troops  of 
cavalry  there  were,  but  following  them  came  a  long  wagon- 
train,  strung  out — including  the  troops — say  three-quarters 
of  a  mile.  Presenth',  the  trail  we  were  following  took  us  a 
short  cut  across  one  of  the  big  bends  of  the  Missouri,  the 
neck  of  which  was  not  over  one  mile  wide.  The  scouts 
and  Indians  were  skirting  the  river  a  coux)le  of  miles  to  our 
right,  when  suddenly  we  heard  several  shots  fired  from  that 
direction.  AVe  were  not  long  in  suspense  as  to  what  had 
brought  forth  their  lire,  for  sweeping  over  the  prairie,  com- 
ing straight  at  us,  were  several  hundred  Antelope — perhai)S 
seven  or  eight  hundred  in  all,  though  there  may  have  been 
a  thousand.  It  so  happened  that  our  entire  outfit  was 
si)anning  the  narrow  neck  from  side  to  side,  so  that  the 
Antelope  found  themselves  in  a  cul  de  sac  from  which  there 
was  no  escape. 

AYhen  the  firing  commenced,  I  was  about  midw^ay 
between  the  column  and  the  scouts,  so  I  had  full  view  of  this 
magnificent  band  of  fieet-footed  animals  charging  in  full 
career  two  or  three  hundred  yards  past  me.  Seeing  some 
stragglers,  I  dismounted,  x)icketed  my  horse,  and  lay  in  wait 
for  them.  Taking  broadside  shots  as  they  vanished  across 
my  line  of  fire,  1  killed  two  or  three  in  I  don't  know  how 
many  shots — jn'obably  ten — and  was  just  commencing  to 
enjoy  this  bn.ttue-shooting,  when  a  volley  of  bullets  came 
wliizzing  by.  so  uncomfortably  close  that  I  instantly  dropped 
to  tlie  ground. 

I  soon  discovered,  to  my  dismay,  that  I  was  directly 
between  two  fires,  and  as  the  scouts  from  the  river-side  were 


STILL-IIUNTIXG  TIIP:   AXTELOPE.  327 

approaching  nie,  bullet  after  bullet  came  singing  merrily 
along  until  I  became  painfully  aware  that  I  was  in  a  very 
undesirable  place.  Uj)  to  this  time,  however,  I  had  not 
apprehended  much  danger;  but  when  the  soldiers  closed  in 
from  their  side,  and  began  pelting  away,  and  I  found 
myself  hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  I  was  decidedly  uncom- 
fortable. 

What  made  it  worse,  the  bullets,  before  reaching  me, 
nearly  all  struck  the  ground,  so  that  they  came  tuuibling 
and  ricocheting  over  my  head,  broadside  or  butt-end  on, 
screeching  and  screaming  in  their  dangerous  Hight;  buzzing, 
at  times,  so  allhred  close  that,  had  I  been  equipj^ed  with  an 
intrenching  tool,  I  would  soon  have  buried  myself. 

During  the  lulls  in  the  firing,  which  were  of  short 
duration,  I  signaled  several  times  to  the  soldiers  not  to  kill 
me,  but  kept  on  shooting,  and  succeeded  in  tumbling  over, 
in  all,  eight  xlntelope.  I  could  have  killed  four  or  live 
times  that  number  had  I  accepted  the  easy,  close  shots  that 
presented  themselves;  but  I  was  shooting  for  practice  as 
well  as  for  meat,  and  took  only  running-shots,  at  from  one 
hundred  and  iifty  to  two  hundred  yards.  I  must  have  fired 
at  least  forty  shots  to  make  this  killing. 

Several  terrified  Antelope  stood  panting,  all  the  way 
from  fifty  yards  up,  and  a  couple  stood  staring  at  me,  in 
wild  amazement,  at  not  over  thirty  yards.  So  near  were 
they  that  I  could  distinctly  see  their  flanks  undulating, 
from  sheer  exhaustion,  after  their  mad  racing  back  and 
forth,  running  the  gauntlet  of  hundreds  of  bullets.  One 
poor  fellow,  I  well  remember,  stood  with  staring  eyes  and 
open  mouth,  catching  his  wind,  quite  close  to  me,  so  para- 
lyzed with  fear  and  fatigue  that  he  seemed  not  to  care 
whether  he  lived  or  died.  I  was  admiring  the_  graceful 
beauty  of  his  form,  moralizing  on  the  wanton  destructiou 
that  had  overtaken  these  lovely  animals,  and  specidatiug 
on  what  would  l^e  the  end  of  this  Jaunty  fellow  himself. 
when  suddenly,  with  a  stiff-legged  bound,  he  rose  up  and 
fell  in  the  agonies  of  death.  At  the  same  instant  I  heard 
the  whiz  of  a  ricochet  bullet,  and  on  walking  up  to  the  poor 


328  BIO  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

fellow,  found  that  he  had  been  shot  through  the  neck  by- 
one  of  the  many  balls  that  were  continually  flying  in  my 
vicinity.  The  jagged  key-hole  showed  plainly  that  this 
ball  had  not  conje  end-on,  but  hatl  been  capsized  in  its 
flight,  retaining,  howevei',  sufficient  speed  and  force  to  cut 
through  the  well-rounded  throat  of  my  erstwhile  timid  but 
lovely  ('omi)anion. 

Strange  to  say,  my  horse  escaped  unscathed,  and  put  in 
his  time  grazing  peacefully,  proving  again  that  where  igno- 
rance is  bliss,  'twere  folly  to  be  wise. 

On  riding  over  the  ground,  we  found  some  forty  or  fifty 
dead  Antelope  enough  to  jorovide  the  entire  command 
with  meat  for  many  days.  Many  others  were,  of  course, 
wounded  and  lost,  which  fact  we  sadly  regretted,  but  in 
the  excitement  of  the  moment  it  could  not  be  avoided. 
Some  of  these,  however,  were  afterward  killed  by  the 
scouts,  and  brought  in  with  the  wagon-train. 

I  don't  think  I  failed  to  kill  over  a  single  one  that  I  hit. 
Many  came  scampering  by  me  with  blood-stains  showing 
2)hunly  on  their  sides.  These  Avere  the  ones  I  shot  at,  prin- 
cipally', and  when  fortunate  enough  to  hit  them  with  my 
hollow-i)ointed  ])ullets,  their  doom  was  instantly  sealed. 

In  the  matter  of  clothing  best  adapted  for  prairie  use, 
corduroy  or  mole-skin  trousers  are  about  the  most  suitable; 
Avhile  a  good  flannel  shirt,  of  some  neutral  color,  is  the 
best.  For  the  coat,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  a  dog-skin 
jacket  is  the  best.  It  is  wind  and  water  proof,  extremely 
light.  diiral)]e,  is  not  cumbersome  or  warm  when  worn 
oi)en,  and  is  a  grand  protection  against  cold  Avhen  buttoned 
uj)  to  the  neck.  A  buck-skin  shirt,  although  good  in  cer- 
tain places,  is  not  so  good  as  a  flannel  one  for  prairie  use. 
as  in  wet  weather  it  is  a  nuisance.  In  the  brush,  however, 
they  ai'e  grand,  as  they  are  noiseless,  of  good  color,  and 
are  soft  and  comfoitable. 

Xotliiiig  that  I  have  ever  seen  can  compare,  as  foot-gear, 
to  the  old  Thompson  A:  Son's  moccasins,  with  moderately 
liglit  soles,  say  single  soles,  with  hobnails  on  the  heels,  and 
a  few  mider  the  b;ill  of  the  foot;  in  fact,  a  couple  of  spikes 


STILL-TIUNTING   THE   ANTELOPE.  829 

in  each  shoe  are  a  bonanza,  when  the  grass  is  slippery  and 
dry.  Let  the  soles  j^roject  half  an  inch  all  the  way  round; 
then  when  you  strike  a  cactus-bed,  you  can  go  ahead  with- 
out prodding  your  feet  at  every  other  step.  The  sole  should 
project  under  the  instep  as  well  as  across  the  toes,  for 
thorns  are  just  as  painful  there  as  anywhere  else.  Cordu- 
roy leggins  are  comfortable,  cool,  light,  and  afford  ample 
protection,  though  in  hot  weather  they  are  superfluous. 

A  soft,  felt  hat,  of  a  grayish  color,  is  best;  one  that  has 
a  moderately  wide  brim  will  be  found  comfortable  in  hot 
weather,  or  in  rain.  A  few  ventilators  will  be  beneficial;  so 
will  a  strap  to  fasten  under  the  chin  in  windy  weather. 

Beware  of  leather  belts  for  carrying  cartridges.  Nothing 
equals  one  of  webbing;  next  is  canvas.  Leather  belts  are 
a  fraud;  the  shells  become  covered  with  verdigris  and  dirt, 
and  soon  foul  the  breech  of  the  rifle.  Always  carry  a  shell- 
extractor  in  your  belt,  and  then  you  Avill  have  it  where  it 
does  you  the  most  good;  one  left  behind  in  camp  is  like 
the  Dutchman's  anchor — only  an  aggravation.  By  shell- 
extractor,  I  mean  one  that  will  xduII  out  a  headless  shell; 
nothing  but  a  first-class  extractor  will  budge  it. 

Every  rifle  for  prairie  use  should  be  provided  with  a 
pointed  wiping-stick,  one  that  fits  in  the  stock  like  that  of 
a  Winchester.  A  hide  thong,  with  a  piece  of  rag,  is  good 
enough  to  clean  a  rifle  with,  but  if  the  bore  gets  choked 
with  mud  or  snow,  it  is  conveident  to  have  a  rod  with  which 
to  poke  it  out. 

I  always  carry  a  hunting-knife  and  steel,  both  fitting  in 
one  sheath.  This  saves  trouble;  and  however  good  a  knife 
may  be,  it  soon  gets  dull  when  carving  large  game.  The 
blade  of  the  knife  should  be  all  one  piece  with  the  handle, 
with  buck-horn  grip.  No  other  kind  of  knife  will  stand 
chopping,  and  that  is  sometimes  unavoidable.  A  small, 
light  steel  is  all  that  is  required. 

I  prefer  the  California  saddle  to  anj*  other,  but  a  good 
McClellan  is,  jDerhaps,  the  best  for  both  man  and  horse. 
Always  carry  saddle-bags;  they  are  convenient  for  your 
lunch,  some  extra  ammunition,  matclies.  and  a  flask  of  cold 


330  BIU   GAME   OF    NOUTII    AMEUICA. 

tea,  which  is  the  best  and  most  refreshing  drink  I  know  of. 
It  is  as  well  to  carry  in  them  an  oiled  rag,  and  if  it  comes  on 
to  rain,  just  rub  your  gun  with  it,  and  when  you  get  to  camp 
you  will  see  how  easily  it  is  cleaned. 

My  favorite  lariat  is  made  of  x>laited  cord — not  twisted, 
for  this,  when  wet,  unravels — about  the  same  as  good,  strong 
window-cord,  forty-live  feet  long.  *  I  fasten  one  end  to  the 
bit,  and  hold  it  up  as  I  would  a  halter-strap,  and  allow  the 
otlier  end  to  trail  after  me.  When  I  see  game  close,  I  jump 
off  my  horse,  stand  or  sit  on  the  rope,  and  thus  secure  my 
horse  at  a  moment's  notice.  When  I  have  time  I  use  a 
picket -pin.  This  should  be  made  of  steel,  and  formed  like 
the  old-fashioned  bayonet,  not  round,  as  in  hard  ground  it 
is  diillcult  to  drive  the  latter,  whereas  a  three-cornered  one 
cuts  its  way,  and  is  soon  home.  Have  a  swivel  attachment 
on  to});  that  prevents  the  lariat  from  becoming  twisted  or 
snarled.  Keep  the  x>iii  fastened  by  a  steel  snap,  on  the 
mounting-side;  this  is  the  most  convenient  and  secure  mode 
of  carrying  it,  and  the  quickes-t  to  get  it  off. 

A  good,  powerful  field-glass  is  useful;  the  single-barreled 
Dne  will  answer  all  purposes,  is  much  more  easily  carried — 
the  best  way  being  in  a  leather  pocket  made  to  tit  it — than 
the  lorgnette,  and  not  nearly  as  liable  to  be  broken  or  ren- 
dered unserviceable.  This  can  be  fastened  to  the  belt,  and 
should  not  be  over  two  inches  in  diameter  and  six  in  length 
when  closed. 

A  compass  is  a  grand,  good  thing  if  you  understand  it, 
and  know  where  you  want  to  go;  but  unless  you  do,  it 
doesn't  auiount  to  much,  for  it  is  always  a  greater  aggrava- 
tion to  be  lost  with  a  compass  than  without  one.  I  always 
carry  one  one  tliat  opens  like  a  double  hunting-case  watch 
is  the  best — and  sometimes  liave  been  lost,  compass"  and 
all.  There  is  nothing  more  easily  leading  to  this  than  to 
follow  a  wounded  animal;  you  forget  everything  but  the 
game  you  i)ursue.  and  when  it  is  getting  late,  and  thoughts 
of  camp  steal  gently  o'er  you,  then  you  find  you  have  lost 
everything  l)ut  your  appetite.  For  this  emergency  I  alwa^^s 
carry  salt  and  matches  in  mv  saddle-bau's,  and  if  I  have 


STILL-IIUXTIXG   THE  ANTELOPE.  831 

some  meat  I  ctiii  at  least  have  some  supper  and  a  smoke, 
which  goes  a  long  way  toward  reconciling  a  man  with 
himself  and  the  world  generally. 

I  have  never  had  much  success  in  flagging  Antelope;  in 
fact,  I  don't  think  I  ever  killed  one  that  way.  Although  I 
have  tried  this  ruse,  never  could  I  lure  them  within  reach. 
The  scheme  doubtless  worked  all  right  in  early  days, 
before  the  game  of  the  prairies  became  educated  to  the 
seductive  wiles  and  sly  ways  of  the  white  man;  in  fact, 
old  frontiersmen  have  told  me  some  most  amusing  stories 
of  how  they  have  lured  the  little  Gazelles  to  their  ruin. 
The  time  was  when  the  white  canvas  of  a  prairie-schooner 
would  set  a  band  of  Antelope  all  agog,  and  they  would 
approach  so  near  to  it  that  they  could  be  easily  shot 
down  by  the  teamsters  and  guards.  In  those  days,  a  white 
or  red  rag  attached  to  a  stick  and  allowed  to  flutter 
in  the  breeze  would  bring  an  Antelope,  or  a  herd  of  them, 
from  any  distance  where  they  could  see  the  strange  appari- 
tion. 

An  old  cruiser  told  me  that  on  one  occasion  he  was 
riding  down  the  Yellowstone,  and  saw  a  small  band  on  the 
level  river-bottom,  about  two  miles  away.  He  wanted  meat, 
and  there  was  no  cover  from  which  he  could  approach  the 
herd.  He  had  no  flag;  but  an  old-timer  is  equal  to  any 
emergency,  and,  dismounting,  he  took  off  his  red  flannel 
undershirt,  tied  it  to  his  wiping-stick,  stuck  the  latter  in 
the  ground,  and  unfurled  his  l)anner  to  the  summer  breeze. 
The  curious  little  creatures  soon  sighted  the  novel  ori- 
flamme,  and  started  for  it.  The  hunter  had  but  to  lie  low 
and  await  their  coming.  They  came  within  a  hundred  yards 
before  the  belching  smoke,  the  echoing  report,  and  the  hiss- 
ing lead  revealed  the  cheat;  then,  those  that  were  not  hit, 
hustled  for  the  foot-hills. 

To  hunt  Antelope  successfully,  one  must  be  well 
mounted;  indeed,  I  have  never  seen  anyone  try  it  on  foot, 
as  the  circuits  necessary  to  be  taken  to  circumvent  a  band 
are  sometimes  of  such  a  radius  that  it  would  take  hours  to 
go  round  on  foot. 


332 


BIG  GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 


The  pith  of  all  teaching  on  this  subject  is  contained  in 
these  injunctions:  Don't  be  in  a  hurry;  keep  out  of  sight 
as  much  as  possible;  don't  depend  on  long  shots.  They 
are  magnificent  when  successfully  made,  but  this  is  of  such 
rare  occurrence  that  a  little  more  i)lodding  and  care  are 
much  more  conducive  to  filling  the  larder.  It  is  exceed- 
ingly easy  to  shoot  close  to  an  object  at  five  or  six  hundred 
yards,  but  it  is  quite  another  thing  to  hit  it.  Besides,  what 
appears  to  be  a  close  shot,  judging  from  the  dust  raised 
by  the  bullet  at  these  long  ranges,  may  be  several  feet  or 
yards  off  the  mark;  so  that,  unless  it  be  impracticable  to 
get  within  three  hundred  yards,  shots  at  beyond  that  dis- 
tance are  unwarranted.  The  better  the  hunter,  the  closer 
he  gets  to  his  game.  It  is  only  the  beginner  who  tries  half- 
mile  chances  in  the  hope  of  doing  execution.  Any  man  can, 
by  using  judgment  and  taking  time,  become  an  average 
stalker,  but  not  one  in  a  thousand  can  x)lant  his  bullet  just 
where  he  wants  it,  at  an  unknown  range  and  distance,  if  it 
exceeds  three  hundred  yards. 


COURSING  THE  ANTELOPE  WITH  GREYHOUNDS. 


By  M.  E.  Allison. 


fSE  Antelope  is  the  fleetest  animal  that  lives,  as  well 
as  the  wariest  and  most  cunning;  and  one  of  the 
yij  Vy  grandest  sports  that  this  continent  affords  is  that  of 
^*  coursing  him  with  Greyhounds.  For  a  merry  party 
of  sportsmen  to  mount  their  si)irited  horses,  on  a  clear, 
cold,  frosty,  winter  morning;  to  bring  out  the  eager  hounds; 
to  speed  away  over  the  prairies  for  ten  or  twenty  miles;  to 
sight  a  band  of  Antelope,  slip  the  dogs,  and  follow  them 
through  such  a  grand  race  as  must  ensue;  to  watch  the 
startled  game  in  its  efforts  to  escape,  and  the  efforts  of  the 
hounds  to  come  up  with  it;  to  head  it  off  at  every  turn;  to 
follow  and  encourage  the  dogs,  and  at  last  to  come  to 
their  aid,  after  they  have  pulled  down  the  largest  and  fleet- 
est buck  in  the  bunch — all  these  afford  grander  and  more 
exhilarating  sport  than  any  I  have  ever  indulged  in. 

As  may  readily  be  imagined,  none  but  the  best-bred 
Greyhounds,  and  the  lightest-footed,  toughest,  and  best- 
staying  horse,  can  cope  with  the  Prong-horn;  and  hapx:)yis 
*the  man  who  owns,  or  may  even  follow,  a  pack  of  these 
noble  dogs  that  can  jjull  him  down. 

I  have  spent  many  years  in  breeding  and  training  Grey- 
hounds, and  flatter  myself  that  I  now  own  one  of  the  flnest 
packs  in  the  West.  I  have  had  many  grand  runs  with 
them,  at  the  mere  recollection  of  which  the  blood  leaps  to 
my  brain;  and  I  can  almost  see  the  little  brown-and- white 
streaks  of  venison  drawing  away  across  the  prairie,  with 
the  long,  lithe  forms  of  the  great  Greyhounds  stretched 
out  and  vaulting  through  the  air  so  swiftly,  so  lightly,  so 
eagerly,  that  their  feet  scarce  touch  the  earth.     I  can  feel 

the  hot  breath  of  the  wiry  little  cow-pony  on  my  thighs  as 

( m ) 


334  BIG   GAMK   OF    NORTH    AMf:UICA. 

he  comes  down  to  the  work,  and  can  I'eel  his  sides  swell 
beneath  the  saddle  as  he  reaches  for  the  game,  and  asserts, 
by  his  intense  action,  his  determination  to  be  in  at  the 
death. 

There  are  many  experiences  of  this  nature  that  I  might 
enumerate,  and  I  scarce  know  which  would  interest  me 
most  in  tiie  telling,  and  you  in  reading;  but  as  representa- 
tive runs,  I  will  narrate  a  few  made  in  January,  1886. 
Myself  and  a  friend  took  four  of  my  best  hounds — Mike, 
Jim,  Terry,  and  Jeff — and  boarded  the  west-bound  train 
for  the  home  of  the  Antelope.  The  first  point  at  which  we 
stopped  was  Garden  City,  a  flourishing  town  in  Finney 
County,  Kansas.  My  friend  Jones,  who  lives  there,  and  who 
is  one  of  the  famous  Antelope-hunters  of  the  West,  met  us 
at  the  train,  by  previous  appointment,  and  had  everything 
in  readiness  to  take  us  out  the  next  morning,  bright  and 
early,  to  where  he  had  located  a  herd  of  about  twenty-live. 

Morning  came,  and  ^ve  packed  our  luggage  and  hounds 
in  wagons,  jind  started.  After  driving  some  fourteen  miles 
north,  Jones'  eagle  eye  spied  the  herd  feeding  in  the  flats, 
about  a  mile  away.  We  drove  our  wagons  into  a  low  piece 
of  ground,  to  keep  them  out  of  sight  of  the  game,  then 
saddled  our  horses,  got  the  hounds  out,'  and  started  to  sur- 
round the  Antelope  as  nearly  as  possible,  keeping  in  the 
lowest  ground,  and  at  the  same  time  on  the  windward  side 
of  them,  for  they  are  quick  to  catch  the  scent  of  any 
api3i-oacliing  danger.  After  going  some  distance,  we  man- 
aged to  get  within  live  or  six  hundred  yards  of  them,  and 
they  had  not  yet  discovered  us.  But  here  was  a  rise  in  the 
ground  which  we  had  to  cross,  and  as  this  would  bring  us 
in  sight  of  the  game,  we  decided  that  now  was  the  time  to 
make  a  dash  for  them  and  send  the  hounds  off.  We 
accordingly  put  whip  and  spurs  to  our  horses,  and  away 
we  went. 

Just  as  we  came  in  plain  view  of  the  Antelope  and  told 
the  hounds  to  go,  a  jack-ral)bit  jumped  up  and  started  in 
the  oi)i)()site  diivction  fi'om  tlie  Antelope.  Of  course, 
every  hound  saw  it,  and  having  l)een  taught  to  run  and  kill 


COURSING  THE    AXTELOPE   Willi   GREYHOUNDS.        33.") 

jacks,  started  for  it,  aiid  never  saw  the  Antelope  at  all. 
As  soon  as  we  discovered  our  predicament  we  stopped,  but 
not  in  time,  for  the  Antelope  had  seen  us,  and  ran  off  a 
mile  or  two  before  they  stopped.  We  were  so  angry  with 
the  hounds,  rabbit,  and  our  luck,  that  we  never  looked  back 
to  see  whether  the  hounds  caught  the  rabbit  or  not,  but  fol- 
lowed on  slowly  after  the  Antelope,  so  as  to  give  them 
another  turn  when  the  hounds  should  come  up.  After 
awhile  the  hounds  caught  up  with  us,  and  we  again  sighted 
the  Antelope  standing  a  mile  or  more  away,  on  a  ridge, 
watching  for  us.  We  had  to  maneuver  a  good  deal  before 
we  could  get  any  closer  to  them,  for  the  country  was  nearly 
level,  and  there  was  not  even  a  bunch  of  grass  that  we  could 
use  for  cover.  After  considerable  delay  and  anxiety,  for 
fear  another  jack  would  get  up,  we  made  up  our  minds  we 
could  get  no  closer;  and  as  the  Antelope  had  seen  us,  and 
were  getting  ready  to  start,  we  had  to  do  something  at  once. 
We  spoke  to  the  hounds,  and  away  we  went,  the  Antelope 
at  least  a  half-mile  away.  They  made  a  swing  to  the  right, 
and  the  hounds  saw  them  for  the  first  time.  Tlien  the 
chase  commenced  in  earnest.  But  there  were  big  chances 
in  favor  of  the  game,  and  as  my  hounds  had  never  seen  an 
Antelope  (they  being  young),  I  was  not  sure  they  would 
take  hold  of  one,  even  if  they  could  come  u^)  with  them. 

The  Antelope  continued  to  swing  to  the  right,  and  here 
one  of  the  hounds — Mike — exhibited  the  best  judgment  I 
ever  saw  in  a  young  dog.  Instead  of  following  the  chase, 
he  shot  off  at  an  angle  of  ninety  degrees,  and  as  they  saw 
him  coming  they  undertook  to  head  him  oft';  but  he  was  too 
smart  for  them,  and  kept  them  on  the  outside  until  he  fell 
in  behind  them,  not  more  than  ftfty  or  sixt}"  yards  astern. 
By  this  little  piece  of  strategy  he  was  away  ahead  of  the 
other  hounds,  and  of  the  hunters  who  were  bringing  up>  the 
rear,  yelling  lil^e  Indians  on  the  war-path.  We  could  see 
he  was  gaining  on  the  herd,  and  for  the  first  time  I  realized 
that  he  was  going  to  catch  one  if  he  had  proper  staying- 
qualities.  We  did  not  have  to  Avait  long  to  determine  that 
point,  for  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  he  dashed  into 


336  liUi   GAMK   OF   NORTH   AMEKICA. 

the  herd,  cut  one  out — a  large,  fine  buck — and  in  less  time 
than  it  takes  to  write  it  he  threw  it  heels  over  head,  and  the 
other  liounds,  which  had  meantime  drawn  up,  covered  it 
before  it  could  get  up. 

Everybody  yelled  like  wild  men,  and  we  put  our  horses 
to  the  best  pace  in  tliem  till  we  were  all  in  the  struggling 
mass,  when  Jones  drew  his  knife,  and,  dismounting,  caught 
the  buck  by  the  horn  and  severed  its  jugular. 

This  run  scattered  the  Antelope  and  made  them  very 
wild,  so  we  concluded  to  go  to  town,  and  try  them  the  next 
day. 

Bright  and  early  the  next  morning,  we  were  back  where 
we  left  the  game.  After  driving  over  a  large  extent  of  terri- 
tory, we  found  tlie  same  bunch  again,  and  turned  the  liounds 
loose,  when  Mike  duplicated  his  previous  day's  record.  For 
four  days  we  returned  to  the  flats,  and  each  day  Mike  sus- 
tained his  reputation,  and  caught  his  Antelope  every  time  he 
was  turned  loose  on  the  herd. 

We  had  now  caught  five  out  of  this  bunch,  and  felt 
proud  of  our  success;  but  the  survivors  had  become  so  wild 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  get  the  dogs  within  sight 
of  them,  and  we  concluded  to  take  the  first  train  to  Hart- 
land,  about  thirty  miles  west,  where  Antelope  were 
reported  plentiful,  and  in  large  bands. 

When  we  arrived  at  Hartland,  the  sportsmen  there 
laughed  at  us  for  bringing  hounds  to  catch  Antelope  with. 
They  did  not  believe  us  when  we  told  them  we  had  caught 
five  at  Garden  City.  They  had  some  hounds  that  they  said 
could  run  some,  and  the}"  had  run  them  on  Antelope  fifty 
times,  but  never  succeeded  in  catching  one  unless  it  had 
first  been  wounded,  and  they  knew  it  couldn't  be  done. 
We  offered  to  put  up  something  on  our  dogs,  but  the  local 
lads  didn't  care  to  back  their  Antelope  with  their  wealth; 
so,  to  satisfy  them,  we  invited  them  to  gather  up  their 
hounds  and  go  with  us  the  next  day. 

We  hunted  north  of  town  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles, 
and  at  last  sighted  a  herd  of  six.  about  half  a  mile  away. 
Till'  crowd  became  uiucli  excited,  and  talked  loudly,  which 


COURSING   THE   ANTELOPE   WITH   GREYHOUNDS.        337 

finally  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Antelope,  and  they 
began  to  move  away  before  we  had  decided  what  was  best 
to  do.  We  had  no  time  to  pjirley  then,  and  I  told  all  hands 
to  turn  the  hounds  loose  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Away  we  all  went,  my  dogs  in  the  lead,  the  local  pack 
next,  and  the  cavalry  bringing  up  the  rear.  Gee  whiz! 
how  the  cay  uses  did  tear  up  the  earth!  and  how  those 
natives  did  cuss  and  kick  when  they  saw  my  dogs  throw- 
ing alkali  dust  in  their  dogs'  eyes ! 

But  it  was  no  use;  the  natives  and  the  native  dogs  were 
left.  The  latter  could  run,  sure  enough,  but  they  couldn't 
stay  with  the  thorough-breds.  The  only  thing  they  could 
see,  in  a  minute  or  two,  was  the  dust  raised  by  mj^  dogs; 
and  once  in  awhile  they  would  get  a  glimpse  of  the  Prong- 
horns  as  they  circled.  On  went  the  herd,  cleaving  the  sod, 
throwing  gravel  behind  them,  and  shivering  the  sage-brush 
in  their  course.  We  were  wild  with  delight,  and  our  friends 
were  blind  with  jealousy. 

Finally,  the  Antelope  swung  off  to  the  right,  and,  as 
usual,  the  stalwart  Mike  got  in  his  tine  work.  He  drew 
down  on  a  short  cut,  and  it  would  have  done  your  heart 
good  to  have  seen  him  run.  Why,  a  streak  of  greased 
lightning  couldn't  have  kept  in  his  dust.  For  awhile  it 
looked  as  though  he  did  not  see  the  game  at  all:  but  he 
presently  j^roved  himself  smarter  than  anybody,  for  when 
the  Antelope  made  another  turn  to  the  left,  he  dropped  in 
behind  them,  not  four  rods  distant,  and  in  about  ten  sec- 
onds caught  a  fine  buck — two  hundred  yards  ahead  of  the 
other  hounds  I  This  satisfied  the  doubting  party  that  there 
were  some  hounds  that  could  catch  an  Antelope. 

We  followed  the  remaining  five  three  or  four  miles 
before  we  came  in  sight  of  tlienr,  but  they  were  so  ^vild  that 
we  could  do  nothing  with  them;  so  we  then  gave  uj)  the 
chase  for  that  day,  and  returned  to  town. 

We  remained  there  and  hunted  out  south  from  town  five 
days,  catching  eight  fine  Antelope,  making  in  all  thirteen. 
But  the  Hartland  fellows  Avouldn't  go  with  us  any  more; 
they  were  disconsolate.     The  idea  of  a  pack  of  tenderfeet 

22 


338  BIG   flAMK   OF   XORTH    AMERICA. 

Greyhounds  coming  in  there  and  doing  up  their  native 
stock  in  such  disastrous  shape  was  too  much  for  them,  and 
they  refused  to  be  comforted, 

I  will  describe  one  more  day's  chase,  and  I  think  it  con- 
stituted the  finest  day's  sport  I  ever  enjoyed.  We  had 
found  a  herd  of  sixteen  which  had,  apparently,  never  been 
chased  by  hounds.  We  took  but  two  hounds  out  that  day, 
Terry  and  Mike,  the  others  not  being  in  good  form.  We 
came  upon  the  herd  standing  looking  at  us,  about  half  a 
mile  away.  The  hounds  had  learned  to  look  for  them 
when  we  stopped,  and  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  point  in  the 
direction  of  the  game,  and  saj^  "Antelope!''  The  dogs 
would  invariably  catch  sight  from  the  Avagon.  in  which  we 
always  carried  them. 

Here  Mike  did  the  finest  work  I  ever  saw,  and  I  nevei' 
expect  to  see  it  equaled.  The  dogs  both  jumped  from  the 
wagon,  and  started  off;  but  in  crossing  a  low  place  in  the 
ground  the  Antelope  were  out  of  sight,  Avhen  Terry  con- 
cluded he  Avas  mistaken,  and  stopped.  Mike,  hoAvever, 
kneAv  his  business,  and  kept  on,  getting  Avithin  fifty  yards 
of  the  Antelope  before  they  saAv  him.  In  the  next  quarter 
of  a  mile  he  doAvned  a  large  doe,  Avhile  the  balance  of  the 
herd  stopped  half  a  mile  aAvay,  on  a  ridge,  and  Avatched  us. 
We  loaded  the  dead  Antelope  and  hounds  in  the  Avagon, 
and  drove  quartering  toAvard  the  herd,  keeping  the  hounds 
on  the  lookout  in  the  opposite  direction,  that  they  might  be 
rested  for  the  next  chase. 

The  Antelope  all  this  time  AA'ere  AA-atching  us,  and  Ave 
presently  began  to  pull  in  more  tOAvard  them,  Avatching  every 
move,  so  as  to  turn  the  hounds  in  their  direction  the  moment 
they  started.  Pretty  soon  they  cantered  off,  and  Avlien  Ave 
pointed  them  out  to  the  hounds,  it  Avas  only  an  instant 
until  Mike  and  Terry  both  saAv  them,  jumped  out  of  the 
Avagon  together,  and  ran  off  side  by  side.  The  Anteloi)e 
disappeared  over  the  ridge,  and  presently  the  hounds  did 
tlie  same,  apparently  running  side  by  side  as  they  started. 
As  Ave  had  no  saddle-horses  that  day,  Ave  put  the  Avhip  to  the 
liorses,  and  went  oft'  at  a  rattling  pace  for  the  ridge,  whence 


COURSING  THE   ANTELOPE   WITH   GREYHOUNDS.        339 

we  could  see  the  chase.  We  took  no  notice  of  Buffalo- 
wallows  or  dog- towns  as  we  flew  over  them;  and  the  way 
wa  pounded  the  seats  of  that  wagon  was  a  caution  to  ten- 
derfeet.  When  we  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  ridge  over 
which  the  hounds  had  disappeared,  we  saw  the  grandest 
sight  I  ever  beheld  in  all  my  experience  on  the  plains. 
Each  one  of  the  hounds  had  cut  out  a  flne,  large  buck,  and, 
as  they  dodged  back  and  forth  in  their  frantic  efforts  to  keep 
out  of  the  jaws  of  the  long-nosed  hounds,  which  were  now 
at  their  very  heels,  they  would  pass  and  repass  each  other. 
They  kept  this  up,  it  seemed  to  us,  for  five  minutes;  but,  of 
course,  in  our  excitement  and  efforts  to  get  uj)  to  help  the 
dogs,  the  time  seemed  much  longer  than  it  really  was.  To 
add  to  our  anxiety,  Terry  had  never  caught  one  alone,  and 
we  did  not  know  what  he  would  do  with  it  after  he  got  it. 
But,  no  doubt  feeling  disgusted  at  himself  for  getting  left 
so  badly  in  the  last  chase,  he  concluded  to  play  a  lone  hand 
here,  and  to  redeem  himself  by  catching  the  largest  one  in 
the  herd  unassisted. 

On  we  went,  at  better  than  a  two-minute  gate,  our  eyes 
meanwhile  on  the  chase.  Finally,  Mike  caught  his,  and 
they  both  fell  in  a  pile.  At  the  same  instant,  Terry  made  a 
fearful  lunge,  nailed  his  by  the  hind  leg,  and  hung  like  a 
vise.  He  could  not  get  it  down,  and  it  was  jerking  him 
about  as  a  kite  yanks  its  tail.  Mike  had  succeeded  in  get- 
ting his  by  the  throat.  First  he  was  on  top,  then  the  buck; 
but  he  never  lost  his  grip.  Our  every  effort  was  put  to 
test  to  get  to  Terry  and  help  him  out,  as  he  had  discovered 
before  this  that  he  had  an  elephant  on  his  hands  which  he 
could  neither  hold  nor  let  go.  In  its  efforts  to  get  away,  the 
buck  would  drag  him  around  in  a  circle,  of  perhaps  fifty 
yards  in  diameter,  and  would  pass  within  a  few  feet  of 
where  Mike  was  wrestling  with  his;  but  neither  one  paid 
any  attention  to  the  other. 

On  our  arrival,  I  jum^^ed  out,  the  team  being  on  a  run. 
just  in  time  to  meet  Terry  and  his  buck  on  their  circuit.  I 
tried  to  grab  the  buck  by  the  horns,  but  missed  him.  and 
Terry  discovered  my  presence  for  the  first  time.     He  seemed 


340  BIG   GAME   OF   NOUTII    AMERICA. 

to  think  he  had  done  something  wrong,  and  let  go  to  look 
at  me.  The  buck  was  not  many  hours  in  getting  on  his 
feet  and  striking  out  for  Mexico.  I  yelled  to  Terry  to  catch 
him,  and  the  way  in  which  he  responded  proved  that  he 
needexl  only  the  word.  He  made  a  dash,  and  caught  the 
buck  again  by  the  fore  leg,  turning  it  a  complete  somer- 
sault; and  before  it  could  get  up  I  fell  on  it  with  my  hunt- 
ing-knife and  cut  its  thi'oat.  I  then  turned  to  look  for 
Mike  and  his  buck.  My  partner  had  reached  them,  but  as 
he  had  nothing  with  which  to  cut  the  buck's  throaty  it  was 
a  rough-and-tumble  fight  between  him  and  it;  first  one  was 
on  top,  and  then  the  other.  I  arrived  a  moment  later,  and 
cut  the  Antelope' s  throat,  when  all  hands,  men  and  dogs, 
laid  down  on  the  ground,  completely  exhausted. 

After  resting  a  half-hour,  we  loaded  our  game  in  the 
wagon,  and  started  on  in  pursuit  of  the  herd.  We  found 
them  again  a  mile  farther  on,  showed  them  to  the  hounds, 
and  away  they  went.  Terry  soon  lost  sight  of  them,  but 
Mike  persevered,  and  finally  ran  into  the  herd,  when  he  cut 
one  out,  and  caught  and  killed  it  before  we  could  get  to  him. 
This  made  three  he  had  caught  alone  that  day;  and  out  of 
the  thirteen  caught  on  the  tri^D,  he  had  eleven  to  his 
record. 

This  ended  the  hunt;  and  I  think  it  safe  to  say  that  no 
party  of  men  ever  enjoyed  a  week's  sport  more  intensely 
than  we  enjoyed  that  week  with  our  noble  Greyhounds. 


.VN  •' 


THE  DEATH  OF  VENUS.* 


By  "William  Pittman  Lett. 


LAS  !  poor  Venus — noblest  hound 


That  ever  sprang  with  eager  bound 
The  instant  that  the  scent  was  found— 

Thy  final  hunt  is  o'er! 
Never  again  thy  bugle-note 
Shall  on  the  breeze  of  morning  float; 
The  matchless  music  of  th}-  throat 

Shall  greet  our  ears  no  more. 

This  finger,  holding  now  the  pen, 

Was  on  the  rifle-trigger — when, 

With  lightning  swiftness,  down  the  glen 

The  buck  in  terror  came. 
Fierce  in  his  wake  thy  strides  came  fast, 
And  loud  thy  voice  swelled  on  the  blast. 
Ah!  little  thought  I  'twas  thy  last 

Run  with  the  noble  game! 

Thou  wert  of  stanch,  unrivaled  breed; 
Swift  as  the  Antelope  in  speed. 
Thy  voice  was  ever  in  the  lead. 

Thou  queen  of  all  the  pack! 
Not  one  could  wind  the  game  like  thee, 
Or  bound  away  so  lithe  and  free, 
Or  follow  with  such  certainty 

A  cold  and  scentless  track ! 

True  as  the  best  Damascus  blade. 
By  process  of  refinement  made; 
Perfect,  without  a  single  shade 

To  mar  thy  matchless  fame ! 
When  thou  wert  slipped  to  scour  the  wood, 
The  watcher  of  the  runway  stood 
With  confidence  that  smoke  and  blood 

Would  soon  be  in  the  game. 


*  Venus  was  killed  by  iX)isou  carelessly  set  out  for  Foxes.    She  was  a  noble  hound,  true, 
swift,  and  tireless,  and  had  been  in  at  the  death  of  many  a  Deer. 

liWl) 


342 


IJR}    UtVMK   OF   NOKTII    AMERICA. 


Oft  have  I  listened  to  the  sound 
Thy  tongue  rang  echoing  around, 
Wliile  on  ])efore,  "with  startled  bound, 

Tlie  antlered  monarch  fled; 
O!  by  St.  Hubert!  'twas  a  yell, 
Once  hear.l,  would  be  remembered  well; 
Its  loud  and  glorious  trumpet-swell 

Would  almost  Avake  the  dead ! 

Fierce  as  a  Tiger  on  the  run, 

Yet  gentle  when  the  chase  was  done; 

And  sure  as  bolt  from  rifled  gun. 

Alas!  that  thou  art  gone! 
Faitliful  beyond  e'en  human  faith, 
Sad  was  the  accidental  scath 
Which  hurried  thee  to  timeless  death— 

Of  hounds  the  peerless  one! 

Brave  Venus!  who  will  .say  'tis  wrong 
For  thee  to  sing  a  funeral  song, 
Or  censure  sorrow,  keen  and  strong. 

For  noble  beast  like  thee? 
I  would  that  every  earthly  friend 
May  prove  as  constant  to  the  end; 
For  even  a  dog  a  charm  can  lend 

To  proud  humanity ! 


^'X  "•  •  "' 

'<;•-.-              „  -^  '     . 

-v-  ;r_i.. 

■      .\,  •.* 

-^ 

^^^    '         ^:-A  ■ 

^^ 

MH^BBSMlH^Hk  C!^h  **->*   !  '""'**'''*''''— '---^^^HHM 

1                        •!     '  '• 

...•_il — -/<-:;.^ .-                          .'  i 

"^{^^  i^^-^'-'; 

t^ 

w  ^"""^'W^HMI 

/*fL 

i^5-i^KT 

'-1 

THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  GOAT. 


By  John  Fannin. 


HIS  animal  may  be  briellj'  described  as  follows: 
Average  weight  about  one  hundred  pounds;  legs 
)H,'(I''  short  and  stout;  hoofs  broad  and  stubby;  ears 
^'  pointed;  horns  on  both  sexes,  curved  backward, 
from  six  to  twelve  inches  long,  ringed  or -rough  for  about 
half  their  length,  then  smooth  to  their  sharp  tips,  jet- 
black,  and  susceptible  of  a  high  polish;  tleece  white,  con- 
sisting of  a  line  wool  next  the  skin  and  a  long,  straight 
hail",  pendent  on  sides  of  body  and  legs,  erect  along  line  of 
back,  longer  over  shoulders  and  rump,  giving  the  animal 
the  appearance  of  having  a  double  hump. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  Goat  has  been  reported  as  far 
south  as  36*^  north  latitude,  and  as  far  north  as  62''; 
but  I  am  not  aware  that  any  delinite  information  exists 
respecting  the  limit  of  its  northern  range.  My  opinion  is 
that  this  animal  will  be  found  as  far  north  as  there  are 
mountains.  This  Goat  is  extremely  abundant  in  British 
Columbia,  ranging  from  its  southern  boundary  to  the  water- 
shed of  the  Arctic,  and  from  the  coast-line  to  the  Rockies, 
though  probably  most  abundant  along  the  rugged  peaks  of 
the  Coast  Range.  Here,  amid  Nature's  wildest  scenes, 
amid  storm-swept  canons  and  beetling  crags,  amid  steel- 
blue  glaciers  and  snowy  peaks,  where  the  silence  is  seldom 
broken  save  by  the  rush  of  mountain  torrent,  the  howling 
of  the  storm,  or  the  crashing  of  the  treacherous  avalanche; 
here,  far  removed  from  the  trail  of  the  ordinary  hunter, 
the  Mountain  Goat,  solitary  in  its  habits  and  contented 
with  its  chaotic  and  gloomy  surroundings,  increases  and 
multiplies,  while  sportsmen,  and  even  naturalists,  are  pre- 
dicting its  early  extermination.     Indeed,    there  are   few 


344  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMEKICA. 

animals  on  the  North  American  Continent  of  which,  liaving 
regard  to  its  distribution  and  relative  abundance,  so  little 
is  known  as  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Goat. 

This  animal  is  known  also  by  the  diiferent  names  of 
AVhite  Goat,  Antelope  Goat,  and,  to  the  Indians  of  the 
Northwest  Coast,  as  tSheep.  The  fleece  is  clipped  from 
the  dry  skins  by  these  Indians,  and  the  wool  and  long  hair 
connected  together,  and  twisted  into  a  coarse  yarn  by  roll- 
ing between  the  hand  and  bare  leg  of  the  operator — this 
work  being  done  by  the  women.  The  yarn  is  then  woven  into 
blankets,  on  the  most  primitive  sort  of  loom,  consisting  of 
two  upright  posts,  connected  by  two  cross-bars,  over  which 
the  warp  is  stretched,  when  the  weft  is  passed  over  and 
under  with  the  hand  alone. 

The  manufacture  of  these  blankets  is  still  practiced  by 
the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  Coast,  but  not  nearly  to  such 
an  extent  as  in  former  days,  being  only  indulged  in  by  the 
few  who  still  adhere  to  primitive  customs  and  those  far 
removed  from  the  settlenients;  though  a  few  years  ago  I 
saw  nearly  one  thousand  of  these  blankets  given  away  at  a 
"potlatch"  held  by  an  Indian  chief  at  Burrard  Inlet. 

Althuugli,  strictly  speaking,  an  animal  of  the  mountain- 
l^eaks,  I  have  known  Goats  to  be  shot  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  the  sea-level,  and  to  be  captured  while  in  the  act 
of  swimming  rivers  or  wide  stretches  of  salt  Avater.  These 
occurrences,  however,  are  rare,  and  their  wanderings  much 
below  the  timber-line  are,  perhaps,  more  from  necessity 
than  choice.  Occasionally,  the  deep  snow  forces  them  to 
quit  their  lofty  haunts  in  search  of  more  favorable  brows- 
ing-ground in  the  timber  below;  and  in  the  early  spring, 
Avhen  the  snow  has  melted  awaj*  from  the  "slide-patches" 
on  the  mountain-sides  and  along  the  borders  of  mountain 
streams,  the  Goats  w  ander  down  to  nibble  the  young  grass 
luul  w«-eds  which  spring  up  almost  immediately  with  the 
disai)pearan('e  of  tlie  snow.  Again,  they  frequently  migrate, 
at  any  time  of  year,  from  one  mountain  to  another,  or  even 
from  one  range  to  another;  crossing,  of  course,  in  their 
travt^ls,  whatever  vallevs  or  lowlands  intervene.     At  such 


THE   KOCKY    MOUNTAIN    GOAT.  345 

times  a  pot-shot  may  be  had  without  much  climbing. 
Wlien  taken  young,  they  are  easily  domesticated,  and  will 
follow  tJie  person  who  feeds  them  with  the  fidelity  of  a  dog. 
They  are,  however,  somewhat  miscliievous,  and  will  chew 
up  anything  they  hajjpen  to  come  across,  from  a  pocket- 
handkerchief  to  an  old  boot;  and  one  that  I  kept  in  confine- 
ment was  extremely  i^ugnacious  in  the  presence  of  dogs 
and  cows. 

Except  during  the  rutting-season  (November)  and  in 
mid-winter,  they  are  not,  to  any  extent,  gregarious.  They 
are  not  an  animal  of  speed,  as  the  short,  clumsy  limbs  will  at 
once  show;  nor  are  they  ever  in  a  hurry.  Time  is  of  little 
importance  to  them;  and  even  when  startled  by  the  approach 
of  the  hunter,  their  mode  of  escape  is  usually  in  skulking 
behind  some  projecting  rock,  rather  than  in  speedy  flight. 

Wonderful  stories  have  been  told  concerning  the  cun- 
ning and  alertness  of  this  strange  animal  of  the  mountain- 
I)eaks,  and  the  great  caution  required  by  the  hunter  in 
stalking  it;  and  Indians — even  at  the  present  time — will 
warn  you  of  certain  rules  which  must  be  strictly  followed 
if  you  hope  to  become  a  successful  Goat-hunter.  You  must 
not  smoke;  you  must  not  build  a  fire  within  three  or  four 
miles  of  where  Goats  are  supposed  to  be  found;  you  must 
wear  moccasins — boots  make  too  much  noise;  you  must  not 
fire  a  random  shot,  for  if  you  miss  your  Goat,  gone  is  your 
chance  for  that  day — all  of  which,  so  far  as  my  experience 
goes,  is  the  veriest  rot.  The  Mountain  Goat  is,  i)erliaps,  the 
most  stupid  animal  in  the  mountains,  and  little  or  no  skill 
is  required  in  hunting  it.  The  great  difficulty  is  in  reach- 
ing the  almost  inaccessible  places  which  they  usuall}^ 
inhabit. 

The  best  time  for  a  pleasurable  hunt  is  during  the 
months  of  September  and  October,  or  before  the  "wet 
season"  sets  in,  although  the  skins  are  not  in  prime  con- 
dition till  later  on.  Any  of  the  modern  makes  of  American 
large-bore  rifles  will  be  found  eft'ective  in  the  pursuit  of 
this  animal.     In  every  case,  when  hunting,  I  liave  used  a 


346  nu;  (jame  of  north  America. 

44  Winchester,  and  have  had  no  trouble  in  bringing  down 
the  game;  tliougli  rarely  have  I  had  to  shoot  over  one  hun- 
dred yards. 

There  is  one  precaution  which  it  will  be  well  to  obseiTe;. 
that  is,  keep  the  wind  in  your  face  when  possible,  as  the 
Goats,  when  they  scent  you,  may  take  a  notion  to  skulk  off 
among  the  rocks  and  keep  out  of  sight,  adding  to  your 
trouble  in  finding  them. 

A  couple  of  good  Indians  will  be  necessary,  to  pack  your 
grub  and  camp  outfit,  and  to  pick  out  the  least  difficult  way 
in  making  the  trip  up  the  mountain;  for,  during  the  months 
above  mentioned,  Goats  are  rarely  found  below  the  sum- 
mit. When  the  summit  is  reached,  if  the  game  is  not  in  ■ 
sight,  the  usual  signs  are  sought  for — a  fresh  track,  or  tuft 
of  wool  hanging  from  bush  or  projecting  rock.  In  places 
where  this  game  is  abundant,  trails  will  be  found  worn  deep 
in  the  soft  ground. 

Of  course,  there  is  always  a  certain  amount  of  interest 
and  excitement  attached  to  the  hunting  down  of  a  wild 
animal;  but  after  his  lirst  Goat-hunt,  the  average  sports- 
man will  probably  conclude  that  the  sport  obtained  in  the 
capture  of  the  Goat  hardly  pays  him  for  the  leg-wearjdng 
toil  experienced  in  climbing  the  rocky  heights  to  reach  its 
habitat. 

During  the  winter  months,  say  January  and  February, 
if  one  take  a  canoe  and  a  couple  of  Indians,  and  paddle 
along  the  shore  of  any  of  the  inlets  which  indent  the  coast- 
line of  British  Columbia,  he  may  get  a  shot  at  a  Goat  with- 
out proceeding  far  from  the  water's  edge.  I  have,  on  one 
occasion,  bagged  three  and  got  back  to  my  canoe  within 
one  liour  from  the  time  of  leaving  it.  The  only  drawback 
to  a  hunt  during  these  months  is  the  disagreeable,  wet 
weatliHr  which  one  is  almost  certain  to  encounter  in  winter 
on  tliis  Northwest  Coast. 

I  have  found  more  pleasure  in  sitting  down  on  the 
sunny  side  of  a  rock,  and,  with  the  aid  of  my  field-glass, 
watching  an  hour  or  two  the  queer  actions  of  these  sleepy- 
looking  denizens  of  the  mountains,  than  I  ever  got  out  of  a 


THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  GOAT.  347 

day's  shooting  them.  Still,  the  skin  or  head  of  a  Mountain 
Goat  can  not  be  classed  among  the  lesser  trophies  of  the 
sportsman's  battle-field;  and  even  in  British  Columbia,  the 
reputed  home  of  this  animal,  the  white  men  who  have  killed 
one  can  be  easily  counted.  And  then,  again,  there  is  a  fas- 
cination about  mountain-climbing  peculiarly  its  own.  The 
ever-shifting  scenes  of  rugged  peaks  and  gloomy  canons,  of 
stretches  of  snow,  of  miniature  lakes,  of  shady  groves  of 
cypress  and  pine,  the  banks  of  blooming  heather,  together 
with  the  expectation  of  starting,  at  every  turn  of  the  tortu- 
ous trail,  not  only  Goats,  but  Black  and  Cinnamon  Bears  and 
Deer,  all  of  which  animals  are  found  on  the  summit,  ought 
to  repay  him  for  the  hard  work  and  the  many  hair-breadth 
escapes  he  has  had  in  making  the  ascent. 

To  the  student  of  natural  history,  who  has  a  desire  to 
study  the  habits  of  this  animal,  and  who  may  be  somewhat 
anxious  concerning  its  extermination  in  the  early  future, 
I  can  say  that,  so  far  as  British  Columbia  is  concerned, 
they  are  on  the  increase  instead  of  being  diminished, 
for  the  following  reasons:  The  Indian,  except  in  very 
remote  districts,  has  almost  entirely  abandoned  the  i)ursuit 
of  the  Goat,  for  the  reason  that  he  finds  more  lucrative 
employment  in  working  for  the  whites,  and  his  blankets 
can  now  be  had  with  less  trouble  than  in  scaling  the  rocky 
heights  to  x>rocure  them  from  the  fieece  of  the  White  Goat. 
Then,  again,  of  the  white  population  which  may  fill  uj)  the 
country,  not  one  in  a  thousand  will  ever  develop  into  a  Goat- 
hunter.  Mountain-climbing  is  no  fool's-play,  and  is  associ- 
ated with  many  a  discomfort  which  will  not  only  vanquish 
the  tenderfoot  long  before  the  summit  is  reached,  but  will 
often  tax  the  patience  and  endurance  of  the  old  hunter  of 
the  plains.  The  country  may  fill  up  with  bustling  enter- 
prises and  noisy  industries,  yet  these  will  have  little  or  no 
effect  on  the  shaggy  inhabitants  of  the  mountain-peaks— 
the  conditions  of  food  and  cover  for  them  will  remain 
unchanged. 

Civilization  may  advance,  but  its  attending  influences 
will  play  a  small  part  indeed  in  disturbing  the   solitude 


348  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

which  surrounds  the  liome  of  the  Mountain  Goat.  Among 
tliese  rugged  peaks,  tliere  is  little. for  the  avarice  of  man  to 
covet  or  his  hand  to  develop;  and,  taking  all  these  facts 
into  consideration,  it  may  be  safe  to  i^redict  that  the  White 
Goat  of  Britisli  Columbia  will  exist  when  all  the  larger 
animals  of  the  forest  shall  be  exterminated  or  driven  beyond 
its  boundaries. 

One  word  respecting  large  Goats.  From  time  to  time, 
stories  have  been  told  me  about  monster  Goats  that  have 
been  met  with  in  the  mountains,  and  the  opinion  of  not  a 
few  is  that  a  larger  variety  of  this  animal  exists.  During 
a  trip,  last  winter,  of  about  a  hundred  miles  up  the  coast  of 
British  Columbia,  out  of  about  sixty  skins  which  I  exam- 
ined at  an  Indian  ranch,  I  picked  out  four  large  ones,  three 
of  which  measured  five  feet  in  length,  while  the  fourth 
measured  seven  feet,  with  a  breadth  of  four  feet  ten  inches. 
This,  even  allowing  for  stretching  after  being  taken  off,  was 
an  enormous  skin,  and  must  have  belonged  to  a  monster 
Goat.  That  two  varieties  of  this  animal  exist  I  do  not 
believe;  nor  do  I  think  that  overgrow^n  individuals  are  more 
frequent  with  Mountain  Goats  than  with  other  species  of 
Avild  animals. 

As  experience  is  the  best  teacher,  it  may  be  well  to  give 
here  narratives  of  two  excursions  after  this  animal,  at  two 
different  seasons  of  the  year — one  in  May,  the  other  in 
September.  These  will  give  a  fair  idea  as  to  the  kind  of 
sport  to  be  had  and  the  nature  of  the  difficulties  to  be 
encountered.  My  experience  extends  over  a  period  of  many 
years,  and  over  the  greater  portion  of  this  wonderful 
country  of  forest,  stream,  and  mountain — the  coast  region 
of  British  Columbia;  and  I  am  only  sorry  that  out  of  it 
all  I  can  not  recall  more  excitement,  more  genuine  sport, 
in  Mountain  Goat  hunting  than  is  related  in  the  following. 
Both  of  tliese  hunts  took  X)lace  on  the  north  arm  of  Burrard 
lulet,  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  now  flourishing  city  of 
Vancouver,  the  western  terminus  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Ilailwav. 


THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAIX   GOAT.  349 

On  the  morning  of  the  2Cth  of  May,  I  gathered  together 
my  cami^ing-oiittit,  which  is  always  of  the  most  modest 
description,  consisting  of  bhinkets,  grub,  cooking-utensils, 
and  a  44  Winchester,  and  i^rocuriiig  a  couple  of  Indians 
and  a  canoe,  started  for  the  head  of  the  north  arm.  A 
fair  breeze  was  blowing;  we  hoisted  sail,  and  our  beauti- 
fully modeled  chinook  canoe  skimmed  over  the  water  like 
a  bird.  After  a  four-hours'  run  we  reached  our  destination, 
and  pitched  our  camp  on  the  banks  of  a  beautiful  stream  at 
the  head  of  the  inlet. 

It  was  early  in  the  season,  and  we  expected  to  find  the 
game  without  much  climbing.  The  plan  i^roposed  by  the 
Indian  was  to  simply  paddle  up  and  down  the  stream, 
keeping  a  sharp  lookout  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains 
which  hem  in  the  canon.  Sure  enough,  we  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far  from  camp  when  the  old  Indian  pointed  up  the 
mountain  with  his  paddle,  and  said,  "  Sheep." 

I  had  with  me  a  good  field- glass,  which  I  at  opce  brought 
to  bear  on  the  sjDot  pointed  out  by  the  Indian.  It  was  an 
open,  grassy  i:)lace  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  down  the 
center  of  which  a  brook  coursed  its  way,  emptying  into  the 
creek  nearly  opposite  where  we  were  standing.  Among  tlie 
disjointed  rocks,  well  up  on  the  side  of  the  cafion-wall, 
were  three  shaggy,  white-coated  animals.  A  council  of  war 
was  held,  and  an  attack  immediately  decided  upon.  The 
ascent  of  the  mountain  was  comparatively  easy,  being 
along  the  course  of  the  stream  until  we  neared  the  grassy 
opening,  when  we  had  to  make  a  long  circuit  to  the  left,  in 
order  to  keep  under  cover  of  the  timber.  The  traveling 
then  became  difficult,  on  account  of  the  great  number  of 
fallen  trees  and  the  immense  growth  of  a  sj^ecies  of 
umbrella-plant,  locally  known  as  '* devil" fe  walking-stick;'' 
and  woe  to  the  hand  which  clutches  one  of  these  sticks 
for  a  friendly  support ! 

We  at  last  reached  the  level  on  Avhicli  the  grassy  spot 
was  situated,  toward  which,  still  picking  our  footsteps,  and 
guarding  against  the  slightest  snap  of  a  twig,  we  kept  on. 
Fortune  seemed  to  favor  us,  for  right  in  front,  and  shutting 


350  BIG   GAME   (►F   NORTH   AMERICA. 

out  the  opeiiing  from  view,  was  a  rocky,  moss-covered 
ridge,  up  the  side  of  which  we  crept,  and  cautiously  peered 
over  the  top.  There,  within  one  hundred  yards,  were  three 
Goats  quietly  feeding,  apparently  unconscious  of  our 
approach;  while  farther  on,  and  about  four  hundred  feet 
farther  up,  perched  on  the  pinnacle  of  a  rock,  stood  a  large 
buck  Goat,  whose  attention  was  apparently  attracted  by 
the  jDi'ospect  of  fresh  feeding-grounds  on  the  mountains 
across  the  valley.  Or  he  might  have  been  a  sentinel  watch- 
ing over  the  safety  of  his  three  companions  in  the  little 
opening  below  him.  If  so,  he  was  a  careless  one,  for  his 
position  commanded  a  clear  view  of  the  rock  on  which  we 
lay.  and  no  warning  of  our  approach  had  been  given. 

Choosing  our  victiins,  we  tired,  and  the  three  dropped 
almost  in  their  tracks.  Hastily  throwing  a  fresh  cartridge 
into  my  riHe,  I  turned  to  look  for  tlie  sentinel,  but  he  had 
disai:)peared.  In  an  instant,  Charley  was  Off,  dropping 
powder  and  ball  into  his  old  muzzle-loader  as  he  ran;  and 
while  I  was  engaged  in  taking  measurements  of  the  three 
we  had  killed,  the  loud  report  of  his  musket  sounded  far 
up  the  mountain-side,  and  presently  he  appeared  on  the 
point  of  rock  on  which  we  had  first  discovered  the  sentinel, 
and,  shouting  down  the  warning  '' Klosh  nanitch!"  (look. 
out),  before  I  could  utter  a  word  to  prevent  him.  he  tumbled 
the  carcass  of  the  unfortunate  Goat  over  the  cliff.  Down  it 
came,  a  limp,  shaggy,  white  mass,  bounding  from  crag  to 
crag,  till  it  reached  the  fiat  on  which  we  stood,  shattered 
and  torn  beyond  use.  Its  horns  were  split  into  shreds,  its 
jaws  broken,  and  great  patches  of  hair  cut  clean  from  the 
skin — in  fact,  it  was  useless  as  a  specimen. 

I  felt  annoyed,  and  only  awaited  the  ai)proacli  of  Charley 
to  give  him  a  severe  reprimand.  But  the  old  hunter,  chaf- 
ing under  Charley's  success,  and  indignant  at  his  presump- 
tion in  acting  without  orders,  at  once  opened  out  upon  him 
with  a  burst  of  eloquence  that,  to  anyone  conversant  with 
the  guttural  oratory  of  the  Indian,  must  have  been  scathing 
in  the  extreme.  He  concluded  by  informing  Charley  that 
we  were  collectinii'  the  skins  of  animals  and  birds  solelv  in 


THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAIN  GOAT.  351 

the  interests  of  science,  and  were  not  killing  as  do  the 
Indians,  who  hunt  merely  to  satisfy  their  hungry  stomachs. 
But  Charley  took  it  all  good-naturedly;  and  when  the  old 
fellow^' s  back  was  turned,  he  held  up  two  of  his  fingers,  to 
show  that  he  had  killed  two  Goats,  while  the  mighty 
hunter  had  bagged  only  one. 

Our  descent  of  the  mountains,  to  where  we  liad  left  the 
canoe,  was  not  at  all  difficult,  as  the  hard  snow  along  the 
border  of  the  creek  allowed  us  to  drag  our  specimens  with- 
out injury  to  the  skins. 

The  next  day's  sport,  though  of  a  somewhat  exciting 
character,  did  not  redound  much  to  my  fame  as  a  Goat- 
hunter.  The  ascent  of  the  mountain  had  been  difficult,  and 
in  many  x^laces  dangerous,  and  more  than  once  the  assist- 
ance of  my  trusty  guides  had  to  make  up  for  my  lack  of 
iron  nerve.  Creeping  along  the  face  of  a  cliff,  with  a  thou- 
sand feet  between  you  and  the  first  halting-place  should 
you  happen  to  miss  your  footing,  is  a  feat  which  few  ama- 
teurs in  mountain  travel  may  accomplish  with  ease.  Muscle 
and  endurance  are  valuable  adjuncts  to  the  composition  of 
a  si)ortsman,  but  in  hunting  the  Mountain  Goat,  muscle 
and  endurance  will  avail  him  nothing  if  he  be  lacking  in 
that  most  necessary  of  all  qualifications,  a  steady  head;  and 
the  enthusiastic  hunter,  urged  on  l)y  the  excitement  of  the 
chase,  with  the  game  keeping  just  beyond  the  reach  of  his 
rifie,  may  find  himself  at  a  point  where  to  go  on  is  impos- 
sible, and  to  return  requires  the  nerve  and  coolness  of  a 
Blondin. 

We  at  length  reached  a  shelf,  from  which,  to  gain  the 
top,  the  old  hunter  had  to  mount  on  the  shoulders  of  his 
brother;  after  which  he  lowered  the  butt  of  his  musket 
for  Charley  to  cling  to,  and,  with  my  assistance,  lie  also 
ascended.  The  old  fellow  then  formed  a  loop  on  one  end  of 
his  belt,  and  fastening  the  other  to  the  butt  of  his  musket, 
l^assed  it  down  for  my  assistance.  I,  however,  began  to 
look  at  the  thing  from  a  purely  scientific  point  of  view.  I 
had  much  to  learn  concerning  the  lialnts  of  the  Mountain 
Goat;  in  fact,  I  had  only  just  commenced  the  task.     IS'ow, 


362  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

the  belt,  which  was  aii  old  one,  might  possibly  break,  and 
a  fall  back  to  the  narrow  shelf  on  which  I  was  standing 
might  carry  me  over  its  edge,  and  that  would  be  the  end  of 
me.  So  I  told  the  Indians  to  go  over  the  ridge,  and  if  they 
found  any  Goats,  to  come  back,  and  I  would  then  make  the 
attempt.  ^ 

They  had  scarcely  been  gone  ten  minutes  when  they 
commenced  tiring,  the  sound  of  their  muskets  echoing  and 
reechoing  along  the  mountain-side.  Shot  after  shot  was 
tired,  till  the  whole  j^lace  a^jpeared  to  resound  with  one 
continuous  roar  of  musketry.  I  became  excited,  and  ran 
along  the  shelf  in  hope  of  finding  some  more  accessible 
place  by  which  to  reach  the  top;  but  the  search  was  fruit- 
less, so  I  came  back,  sat  down,  and,  lighting  my  pipe  to 
soothe  my  excitement,  awaited  the  return  of  the  Indians. 

In  the  meantime  the  firing  had  ceased,  and  presently  the 
old  hunter,  with  a  frown  on  his  swarthy  brow,  appeared  on 
the  crest  of  the  ridge,  and  sliding  down  on  the  shelf,  seated 
himself  beside  me. 

He  was.  in  a  decidedly  waathy  mood,  refused  to  have 
anything  more  to  do  with  the  hunt  so  long  as  Charley 
remained,  and  urged  me  strongly  to  send  him  home.  It 
api)eared  that  shortly  after  leaving  me  they  came  upon  a 
band  of  seven  Goats,  and  as  they  had  approached  them 
from  above,  there  was  a  good  oj)portunity  for  rare  sport  had 
they  returned  to  notify  me,  as  I  had  instructed  and  as  the 
old  hunter  wished.  But  the  uncontrollable  Charley  at  once 
opened  fire,  and  the  old  hunter,  fearful  lest  he  should  again 
be  behind,  followed  suit.  "Whether  from  excitement  or  the 
inaccuracy  of  their  fiint-lock  muskets,  it  is  hard  to  say — 
out  of  all  their  shooting  l)ut  one  Goat  fell,  and  that  at 
Charley's  first  fire. 

As  the  old  man  was  in  bad  humor,  I  decided  to  return  to 
camp;  but  on  reacliing  the  canoe,  an  exclamation  from  Char- 
ley drew  our  attention  to  a  mountain  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  creek,  where,  in  ;i  small  opening,  we  discovered  a  she- 
Goat  with  a  yoiuig  kid.  the  latter  appearing  like  a  mere 
speck  ut"  snow  skipping  about  among  the  rocks. 


WANTED-A  FRIENDLY  HAND. 


THE  HOCKY  MOUXTAI.X  GOAT. 


:^o3 


Before  starting  out,  1  had  offered  a  fair  reward  for  the 
capture  of  a  kid,  and  tliis  was  the  okl  man's  opi)ortunity. 
As  he  was  stripping  for  the  cliase,  he  turned  to  Charley  and 
commanded  liim  to  remain  below  and  occ'ui)y  his  time  in 
catching  trout,  with  which  the  stream  abounded.  He  then 
disapi)eared  in  the  dense  growth  of  timber  which  inter- 
vened between  the  creek  and  the  foot  of  the  mountains; 
while  I  took  up  a  favorable  position,  with  my  ghiss,  to  watch 


irf™5C'^>i^''-''-'™"3P^jP'^>««7''^w«*»»'"^^ 


rxjs*i 


Goats — Female  an,- 

the  success  of  the  chase.  The  ascent  must  have  been  diffi- 
cult, for  two  hours  passed  before  the  crouching  form  of  the 
Indian  appeared  in  the  opening.  A  short  time  before  this, 
the  old  Goat  must  have  snulfed  the  danger,  for  she  started 
up  the  mountain,  and  at  the  moment  the  Indian  came  in 
sight  had  reached  a  shelf  to  which  the  kid  was  unable  to 
follow.  All  this  time  a  large,  white-headed  eagle  soared  in 
majestic   circles    directly  over   the    scene.      After    several 

23 


354  BKi    (JAMK    OF    NOUTII    AMEUICA. 

unsuccessful  attempts  to  reach  its  dam,  the  kid  started  back 
towartl  tlie  point  from  which  the  Indian  was  advancing;  but 
before  j^roceeding  very  far,  si)rung  down  upon  a  narrow  shelf, 
and  stood  concealed  beneath  an  overhanging  bush. 

The  Indian,  in  the  meantime  working  his  way  upward, 
stopped  within  a  few  feet  of  the  place;  but  from  his  actions 
I  was  satisfied  he  was  ignorant  of  the  kid's  position,  and 
fearing  the  prize  would  escape,  in  my  excitement  I  sliouted 
at  the  top  of  my  voice.  The  sound  must  have  died  away 
before  reaching  him,  for  he  took  no  notice.  Presently,  he 
raised  his  musket  and  leveled  it  at  the  old  one,  which  still 
remained  in  the  same  position  on  the  shelf  above;  but  lower- 
ing it  again,  he  commenced  a  search  among  the  rocks  for 
the  lost  kid. 

His  stupidity  annoyed  me,  for,  had  he  kept  his  position, 
he  comnumded,  so  far  as  I  could  see,  the  only  A^ay  by  which 
the  kid  could  esca2)e.  Below  was  a  perj^endicular  clilf  of  a 
thousand  feet,  against  the  side  of  which  no  possible  foot- 
hold for  anything  without  wings  could  be  seen.  But  in 
this  I  was  mistaken,  for  a  rock,  loosened  by  the  Indian's 
foot,  rolling  over  the  cliff  started  the  little  animal  from  its 
hiding-place,  and,  with  a  bound,  it  sprung  outward  and 
down.  The  thought  of  its  fate  sent  a  cold  shudder  through 
me.  A  thousand  feet  sheer  down,  to  be  ground  to  atoms 
on  the  rocks  beloAv! 

But  no — down  it  went,  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  and  alighted 
on  a  rocky  cone  which  stood  out  at  a  slight  angle  from  the 
main  cliff,  on  the  to^)  of  which  there  was  scarcely  room  for 
its  feet  huddled  together.  Had  it  started  from  that  i)oint 
and  soai-ed  away  over  the  tops  of  the  trees  which  studded 
tiie  valley,  I  would  not  have  l)een  more  surx)rised,  and  I 
waited  breathlessly  for  the  next  move. 

Foi-  a  moment  it  rested  like  a  speck  of  snow  upon  the 
dark-gray  granite  cone,  then,  with  a  downward  spring  of 
perhajts  tell  feet,  it  reached  a  narrow  shelf  which  had  before 
escaped  my  notice,  and  which  ran  along  the  face  of  the  cliff 
to  the  wooded  mountains  on  the  i-ight.  But  a  sadder  fate 
awaited  the  unfortunate  animal  than  if  it  had  fallen  into 


THE   ROCKY    MOUNTAI>'    GOAT.  355 

the  hands  of  the  Indian.  The  terrible  bird  which,  in  nar- 
rowing circles,  had  kept  above  the  scene,  and  whose  pierc- 
ing eye  had  taken  in  tlie  vantage  of  the  position  -the  kid 
separated  from  the  protection  of  its  dam— stopped  suddenly 
in  its  course,  then  swooped  downward  swift  as  the  light- 
nings flash,  and  seizing  the  poor  kid,  just  when  life  and 
liberty  seemed  so  near,  bore  it  from  the  cliff,  fluttered  a 
moment  in  mid-air,  then  drifted  downward  along  the 
mountain-side,  disappearing  below  the  tops  of  the  swaying 
firs. 

The  chase  w^as  over,  and,  with  a  sigh  of 'disappointment,  I 
shut  up  my  glass  and  awaited  the  return  of  the  Indian.  It 
Avas  nearly  dark  when  we  reached  camp.  After  partaking 
of  some  of  the  delicious  trout  which  Charley  had  hooked 
from  the  creek,  I  lit  my  pipe,  and  being  tired  with  my  exer- 
tions, rolled  myself  in  my  blankets.  With  a  beautiful, 
clear  sky  for  a  roof,  and  the  "babble,  babble''  of  the  creek 
for  a  lullaby,  I  lay  dozing,  cogitating  over  the  events  of  the 
day. 

Finally,  the  forms  of  the  two  Indians,  dimly  outlined 
through  the  smoke  of  the  camp-flre,  faded  entirely  away;  I 
glided  into  dreamland,  and  all  through  the  night  reenacted 
the  scenes  of  the  chase — the  kid's  terrible  leap,  my  frantic 
exertions  to  reach  the  top  of  a  cliff  where  Goats  were  being 
killed  by  the  two  Indians,  till  at  last  a  large,  white-headed 
bird  lifted  me  from  the  rocks,  dropped  me  over  a  preci- 
pice— then,  with  a  start,  I  awoke  and  found  it  was  daylight. 
My  dusky  companions  were  already  astir;  and  after  the 
morning's  meal  I  announced  my  intention  of  starting  for 
home,  as  I  had  j)rocured  wdiat  specimens  I  required  for  the 
present. 

The  next  hunt  was  made  in  September,  with  the  same  two 
Indians  arid  an  old  companion,  Dick  Griffin,  whose  experi- 
ence in  Mountain  Goat  hunting  equals,  if  not  surpasses, 
mine.  We  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountain  which  we 
had  decided  to  ascend  about  noon,  and  dividing  our  blank- 
ets  and   grub    into  two  packs  for  the    Indians  to  carry, 


35(5  BIO  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

commenced  the  ascent  at  half-past  twelve.  After  five  and 
a  half  hours  of  hard  climbing,  we  pitched  our  camp  witliin 
the  timber,  a  few  hundred  yards  below  the  bare  summit. 
The  Indians  advised  this,  lest  by  camping  in  the  open 
our  camp-tire  might  warn  the  game  of  our  j^resence. 

By  daylight  the  next  morning  we  had  eaten  our  break- 
fast of  bacon,  crackers,  and  coffee,  and  leaving  the  timber 
behind,  passed  up  a  beautiful,  grassy  lane  to  the  summit. 

We  had  scarcely  reached  this  when  a  dense  fog  encircled 
us  in  every  direction.  It  was  so  thick  that  objects  two 
hundred  yards  distant  were  totally  obscured.  This  was 
aggravating,  the  more  so  as  appearances  indicated  a  contin- 
uance of  this  state  of  things  all  day.  The  air  was  chilly, 
and,  as  we  had  left  our  coats  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  we 
were  obliged  to  unpack  our  blankets  and  wrap  them 
around  us. 

At  half-past  eleven  a  slight  breeze  sprung  up,  a  few 
faint  shafts  of  light  penetrated  the  darkness,  and  then,  as 
if  by  magic,  the  great  bank  of  fog  rolled  away;  the  sun 
burst  forth  in  all  his  splendor  of  noon,  and  daylight  was 
witli  us.  We  were  now  enabled  to  determine  our  position, 
and  found  we  were  on  the  summit  of  the  divide  between 
the  north  arm  of  Burrard  Inlet  and  Seamour  Creek — a 
broken  and  uneven  backbone,  made  up  of  sharp  ridges, 
deep  ravines,  and  level  stretches,  as  smooth  as  if  graded 
by  human  hands.  Everywhere,  excej^t  on  the  tops  of 
the  rocky  ridges,  was  heather— beautiful,  sweet-scented 
heatlier — over  which  we  moved  as  if  treading  on  car^^et. 

We  now  picked  out  a  place  for  a  permanent  camp,  and 
leaving  our  grul)  and  blankets  there,  started  out  on  our 
hunt.  At  every  step  we  came  upon  fresh  signs  of  the 
game,  but  for  awhile  the  Indians  appeared  puzzled  as  to 
which  way  to  steer;  for  although  the  country  was  open, 
and  the  eye  could  reach  for  miles  in  any  direction,  yet  the 
broken  state  of  the  ground  was  such  that  Goats  might  be 
within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  us  and  still  be  out  of  sight. 

At  length  the  old  Indian  left  us,  and  started  down  the 
side  of  the  ridge.     He  had  hardly  gone  two  hundred  yards 


THE   ROCKY    MOUNTAIN  GOAT.  357 

when  he  turned  and  signaled  us  to  approach.  Supposing 
the  game  to  be  at  least  three  or  four  hundred  yards  away, 
we  hastily  scrambled  down  after  him;  but  what  was  my 
surprise,  upon  reaching  him  and  peering  over  the  clump  of 
cypress  behind  wiiich  he  was  standing,  to  see  four  Goats — 
two  females  and  two  kids — within  thirty  yards. 

There  was  a  clear,  open  held  for  a  running-shot  should 
they  attempt  to  escape,  and  feeling  confident  that  I  was 
good  for  tw^o  of  them  before  they  could  get  out  of  range,  I 
stood  out  in  open  view  to  watch  their  actions.  There  was 
none  of  that  startled  look  about  them  which  we  notice  in 
Deer  and  other  wild  animals  at  the  ax3proacli  of  danger. 
There  was  no  throwing  up  the  head  for  a  moment,  and  then 
bounding  away  as  if  a  whirlwind  had  undertaken  to  i)ack 
them  out  of  sight.  On  the  contrary,  these  silly  brutes 
appeared  to  look  at  us  stui)idly  from  under  their  eyebrows, 
and^  then,  with  their  heads  scarcely  raised  a  foot  from  the 
ground,  trotted  off  about  a  dozen  yards  to  the  right,  wiieeled, 
and  retraced  their  steps.  I  felt  almost  ashamed  to  shoot; 
but  hearing  the  lever  of  Dick's  Bullard  falling  back  to  its 
I)lace,  I  opened  fire,  and  with  four  shots  we  dropped  the 
four,  within  fifty  feet  of  where  we  first  discovered  them. 

It  was  past  one  o'clock  when  we  got  the  pelts  off,  and 
feeling  somewhat  hungry,  we  decided  to  make  our  noonday 
meal  of  Mountain  Goat,  or  rather  of  kid,  for  my  experience 
with  this  animal  is  that  the  adults  are  not  of  the  most 
savory  character. 

The  meal  finished,  I  gave  my  rifie  to  the  old  Indian  (who 
had  come  without  a  gun),  and  taking  my  shotgun,  started 
toward  the  top  of  one  of  the  ridges,  on  the  lookout  for 
ptarmigan,  while  Dick  and  the  two  Indians  moved  along 
the  foot,  to  a  gap  which  cut  through  the  ridge  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  the  point  at  which  I  was  ascending. 

Before  reaching  the  top,  I  turned  to  take  a  look  at  the 
country  behind  me;  and  just  here  I  picked  up  a  little  expe- 
rience concerning  at  least  one  Mountain  Goat,  which,  taking 
into  consideration  the  w^onderful  stories  told  by  the  Indians 
as  to  their  acute  senses  of  hearing  and  scent,  surprised  me. 


358  BIO   GAME   OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

On  the  top  of  a  ridge  which  ran  at  right-angles  with  the  one 
I  was  on — the  two  being  separated  by  tlie  gap  before  men- 
tioned— I  discovered  a  large  buck  Goat  poking  along  on 
the  very  edge.  The  side  of  this  ridge  appeared  to  rae  to  be 
almost  vertical,  and  its  height  about  seven  or  eight  hundred 
feet.  About  half-way  between  it  and  the  one  I  was  on,  the 
smoke  of  our  camp-fire  curled  up  and  drifted  off  in  the 
direction  of  Seamour  Creek. 

This  Goat  appeared  to  care  nothing  for  camp-fires.  He 
was  going  to  come  down  the  side  of  that  ridge  if  he  broke 
his  neck  in  the  attempt;  and  so  I  sat  down  to  watch  him. 
His  distance  from  me  was  not  over  five  hun'dred  yards,  and 
with  my  glass  I  could  watch  every  move  he  made.  About 
tliirt}'  yards  below  him,  growing  out  of  the  side  of  the  cliff, 
was  a  bunch  of  broad-leaf  plants,  which  the  Indians  had 
told  me  Avere  a  favorite  food  of  the  Goat.  This  spot 
appeared  to  be  his  objective  point;  and  carefully  he  worked 
his  way  down  till  he  reached  it,  when  he  commenced 
feeding. 

Just  then  I  was  startled  by  a  IcaJc,  kak-kak  just  above  me, 
and  looking  uj),  discovered  a  flock  of  ptarmigan  not  twenty 
yards  away.  There  were  eight  of  them,  and  I  shot  them 
all,  firing  seven  shots;  yet  the  Goat  stood  there  as  uncon- 
cerned as  if  he  w^ere  a  thousand  miles  away.  And  still  he 
must  have  heard  the  shooting,  because  Dick,  who  was  twice 
as  far  away,  and  nearly  in  the  same  direction,  heard  every 
shot.  I  felt  some\Wiat  disapi^ointed,  on  picking  up  my 
birds,  to  find  that  they  were  the  black-tail  instead  of  Lago- 
pu8  Jeacuru-s.  They  were  also  in  the  last  stage  of  summer 
plumage,  and  scarcely  fit  specimens  to  mount. 

Hanging  my  game  on  the  limb  of  a  cypress,  I  reached 
the  to})  of  the  ridge,  and  found  I  commanded  a  view  of  the 
oi)ening  into  which  my  companions  had  gone  through  the 
gap,  and  I  at  once  began  to  look  for  them.  Presently,  I 
discovered  two  dark  objects  beneath  the  shadow^  of  a  sj)read- 
ing  pine,  which,  with  the  aid  of  my  glass,  I  made  out  to  be 
I)ick  and  the  younger  Siwasli;  while  farther  on,  near  the 
foot  of  the  opposite  ridge,  was  Seammux,  creeping  along  as 


THE    KOCKY    MOUXTAIX    COAT.  359 

if  on  the  lookout  for  some  animal  ahead.  The  younger 
Indian  got  up  and  started  back  toward  the  gap,  and  just 
then  I  heard  a  shot  in  the  direction  of  Seammux;  but  before 
I  could  bring  my  glass  to  bear  on  the  spot,  a  dense  fog 
rolled  up  the  opening,  and  enveloped  the  whole  scene  in 
darkness.  Then  came  another  shot,  and  another,  until  I 
counted  nine  shots  in  quick  suc«ession. 

I  became  alarmed,  thinking  i)robjd)ly  that  my  com- 
panions had  stumbled  onto  a  Cinnamon  Bear;  and  I  was 
on  the  point  of  starting  down  the  ridge  and  through  the 
gap  to  join  them,  when  the  voice  of  Dick  came  up  through 
the  thick  fog,  "  Catch  'im  alive  !  "  and  then  a  hearty  "  ha  ! 
ha  I  ha  !  "  from  the  same  individual  satisfied  me  that  noth- 
ing was  wrong.  So  I  resumed  my  seat,  and  waited  for  the 
fog  to  lift.  It  rolled  away  almost  as  suddenly  as  it  came, 
and  I  then  discovered  Dick  and  Seammux  bending  over 
some  animal,  Avhicli.  with  the  aid  of  my  glass,  I  made  out 
to  be  a  Goat. 

I  turned  to  look  for  my  friend  on  the  cliff.  He  was  still 
in  the  same  place  feeding  away,  but  another  actor  had  come 
upon  the  stage.  A  dark  object  was  creeping  toward  the 
white  one.  It  was  the  young  Siwasli.  Stealthily  he  picked 
his  way  along  the  side  of  the  ridge  until  he  got  within  what 
appeared  to  me  fifty  yards  of  his  prey.  Then  he  halted;  a 
puff  of  smoke  shot  out  in  front  of  him,  the  Goat  sprung- 
backward— in  fact,  turned  completely  over — and  fell,  a  dis- 
tance of  fully  five  hundred  feet,  to  the  bottom  of  the  cliff. 

In  a  short  time  the  young  Indian  joined  me,  bringing 
with  him  the  mutilated  skin  of  the  unfortunate  Goat. 
Ever  since  the  start,  there  had  been  a  jealous  feeling 
between  the  two  Indians — more  noticeable  on  the  part  of 
Seammux — because  1  had  engaged  the  young  Indian  as 
guide;  and  all  points  as  to  routes  and  the  chances  for  game 
were  referred  to  him.  I  did  this  out  of  spite,  simply  to 
punish  the  old  fellow^  for  the  way  he  acted  on  a  former  trip. 
He,  however,  missed  no  opi)ortunity  to  sneer  at  any  propo- 
sition the  young  fellow  made;  and  now  it  was  Tillicum's 
turn.  and.  as  he  seated  himself  beside  me,  he  asked  if  I  had 


360  IJIG   CiAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

heard  the  .shooting  in  the  valley  below  us.  I  replied  that  I 
had,  and  asked  what  it  was  all  about.  With  a  sort  of  com- 
ical grin  on  his  greasy  face,  he  answered,  '"''Klonass  sogei's'''^ 
(perhai)S  it  was  soldiers). 

It  turned  out  that  Seammux  had  fired  the  nine  shots  at 
one  Goat,  and  the  young  Indian  had  stood  by  and  laughed 
at  him.  In  the  meantime,  Dick  had  ])rought  down  another 
Goat,  which  made  seven— more  than  we  could  manage;  so 
I  gave  the  order  to  shoot  no  more,  to  pick  up  our  skins,  and 
head  for  camp. 

It  was  five  o'clock  when  we  reached  a  spot  about  three 
hundred  feet  above  our  camp,  and  looking  down  and  seeing 
that  everything  was  just  as  we  left  it,  we  sat  down  to  rest 
before  going  down  the  slope.  We  had  scarcely  seated  our- 
selves, when  Seammux,  pointing  across  the  vallej'  in  the 
direction  of  Seamour  Creek,  exclaimed,  ''i\7^Y/  tum-tum 
.S'paz"  (I  think  that's  a  Bear).  All  eyes  were  turned  in  the 
direction  indicated,  and,  sure  enough,  a  dark  object  was 
discovered,  which,  with  my  glass,  I  made  out  to  be  a  large 
Black  Bear,  and  with  it  three  good-sized  cubs.  They  were 
in  the  bottom  of  a  ravine,  the  mouth  of  which  entered  the 
valley  directh'  opposite  where  we  were  sitting,  and  was 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  away.  The  hills  on  each 
side  were  at  least  fifty  feet  high;  that  to  the  left  timbered, 
that  on  the  right,  with  the  exception  of  one  solitary  tree, 
bare.  But  that  tree  proved  to  be  in  a  favorable  position,  for 
the  wind  coming  from  the  left,  the  approach  had  to  be  made 
up  the  slope  on  which  it  stood. 

After  all,  there  is  a  good  deal  of  murder  in  the  shooting 
down  of  a  wild  animal;  at  least  so  it  has  seemed  to  me  in 
many  cases  of  my  own  experience — this  one  I  am  al)out  to 
relate,  in  i)articular.  Here  is  an  animal  enjoying  the  free- 
dom of  a  wilderness  almost  unknown  to  man.  There  is  no 
cautiousness — no  tliought  of  danger — because  there  is  no 
animal  of  her  surroundings  that  she  dreads.  She  strolls 
leisurely  along,  stoi)ping  now  and  then  to  pick  up  some 
choice  root  or  caress  a  favoiite  cub.  The  sun  is  sinking 
lower  and  lower  behind  the  hills.    The  shadows  of  api)roach- 


THE   KOCKY    MOUNTAIN   GOAT. 


361 


ing  night  are  creeping  higher  and  higher  u^)  the  opposite 
slope.  She  stretches  her  great  length  on  the  heather- 
covered  ground,  and  i3lacing  her  head  between  her  paws, 
quietly  watches  the  playful  frolics  of  her  three  ciibs.  Hark! 
What  is  that?  Only  a  whistle;  but  it  comes  from  the  li^js 
of  a  human  being,  and,  as  if  seized  with  the  dread  of  some 
terrible  danger,  she  raises  her  head,  turns  it  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  sound,  wiien  the  object  for  which  that  whistle 
was  given  is  attained,  and  the  next  instant  a  bullet  from  a 
Winchester  rifle  crashes  through  her  skull.  She  springs  to 
her  feet,  and  uttering  the  most  piteous  wail  I  ever  heard 
from  the  lips  of  human  or  beast,  drops  dead  among  her 
cubs,  which  a  moment  after  share  the  fate  of  their  mother. 


THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP. 


Bv  G.   ().  Siiii;ij)s  cCoQri.NA"). 


^HE  Rocky  Mountain  Sheej:)  is  one  of  the  wildest, 
§  wariest,  and  most  difficult  to  hunt,  successfully,  of 
all  North  American  game  quadrupeds.  His  habi- 
^^  tat  being  the  highest,  raggedest,  and  most  forbid- 
ding mountain  ranges,  it  is  only  by  the  most  arduous 
toil,  the  most  weari.^ome  and,  in  many  cases,  dangerous 
climbing,  that  the  hunter  can  reach  the  feeding-grounds  of 
the  wild  Sheep  at  all;  and  once  there,  his  skill  will  be  taxed 
to  its  utmost  to  get  within  rifle-range  of  the  game.  He  will 
be  fortunate  indeed  if,  after  he  has  crawled  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  and  has  almost  reached  the  point  from  which  he  hoped 
to  make  a  successful  shot,  one  of  the  capricious  currents  of 
wind  that  are  so  often  fatal  to  the  hopes  of  the  mountain 
hunter  does  not  sweep  up  a  canon  or  around  a  crag,  in  a  direc- 
tion immediately  opposite  to  that  from  which  it  has  been 
blowing,  and  carry  his  scent  to  the  delicate  nostrils  of  Oins^ 
for  the  sense  of  smell  in  this  animal  is  equally  as  keen  as 
that  of  sight.  He  will  also  be  fortunate  if,  after  hours  of 
careful  and  tedious,  time-killing  and  back-breaking  stalk- 
ing, he  does  not  displace  a  loose  rock  and  start  it  rolling 
down  the  mountain,  or  if  he  does  not  break  a  dry  juniper- 
twig,  the  sound  of  either  of  which  would  send  the  game 
leaping  and  dancing  away  among  the  crags. 

The  Big  Horn  is  gregarious  in  its  tastes,  and  a  few  years 
ago  bands  of  several  hundred  were  frequently  seen  together. 
Now  it  is  rare  indeed  that  so  many  as  flfty  are  found  in  one 
place.  The  sportsman  is  extremely  fortunate  who  can  And 
a  band  of  ten  or  fifteen  after  riding  and  climbing  a  week  to 
reach  their  range. 


364  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Wlien  bands  of  Slieep  are  feeding,  they  usually  post  a 
sentinel  on  some  prominent  point,  to  watch  for  possible 
danger;  and  when  about  to  lie  down,  they  seek  the  highest 
ground  in  the  neighborhood,  in  order  that  each  member 
of  the  flock  may  act  as  his  own  guardian. 

The  muscular  development  of  this  animal  is  simply  mar- 
velous; and  while  possibly  not  as  graceful  and  elastic  in  his 
movements  as  the  Deer  or  the  Antelope,  yet  he  will  leap 
from  crag  to  crag,  will  bound  up  over  ragged  ledges,  over 
ice-glazed  slopes,  or  down  perpendicular  precipices,  alighting 
on  broken  and  disordered  masses  of  rock,  with  a  courage 
and  a  sure-footedness  that  must  challenge  the  admiration 
of  everyone  who  has  an  opportunity  to  study  him  in  his 
mountain  home. 

It  may  be  well  to  state  once  more,  however,  that  all  the 
old  stories  of  hunters  and  mountaineers,  to  the  effect  that 
the  Sheep  jump  over  precipices  and  alight  on  their  heads, 
are  purely  mythical.  A  full-grown  ram  weighs  three  hun- 
dred pounds  or  more;  and  while  his  horns  would  probably 
stand  the  shock  of  such  a  fall,  his  bones  would  not.  His 
neck,  and  probably  every  other  bone  in  his  body,  would,  if 
he  jumped  from  a  jirecipice  and  fell  iifty  or  a  hundred  feet, 
be  crushed  to  splinters.  Besides,  if  the  rams  could  stand 
it,  and  come  out  of  it  safely,  what  would  become  of  the  ewes 
and  lambs,  which  have  not  the  big  horns,  and  wliicli  follow 
wherever  the  rams  lead  i  A  Sheep  never  jumps  down  a 
sheer  precipice  of  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  feet;  and  when- 
ever or  wherever  he  does  jump,  he  always  lands  on  his  feet. 

General  Gordon,  one  of  the  Special  Indian  Commission 
ers,  wlio  was  traveling  in  Northern  Washington  when  I  was 
there,  bought  fi'om  a  hunter  the  head  of  a  ram  that  had  the 
tips  of  the  horns  broken.  The  General  showed  them  to 
several  persons  of  my  acquaintance,  and  said  he  had  never 
before  believed  the  stories  of  the  Sheep  jumping  down 
UKMintains  and  alighting  on  their  heads,  but  that  now  he 
was  compelled  to  lielieve  them,  for  here  was  an  undeniable 
proof  of  the  truth  of  them.  This  noble  animal  had,  he 
said,  undoul)tedly  liroken  his  horns  in  this  way.     But  I  can 


THE   IKX'KY    MOUNTAIN   SIIEEP.  365 

assure  the  General  that  the  horns  on  his  specimen  had  been 
broken  while  their  former  owner  was  engaged  in  fighting; 
and  hundreds  of  others,  wliich  may  be  seen  in  museums  and 
in  private  collections  throughout  the  countrj'-,  have  been 
broken  in  the  same  way. 

Generally  speaking,  tlie  range  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
Sheep  may  be  said  to  extend  from  Old  Mexico  to  Alaska, 
and  from  the  eastern  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the 
Pacific  Coast,  though  there  are  some  ranges  of  mountains 
within  these  limits  in  which  it  has  never  been  found.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  ranges  down  the  Missouri  and  Yellow- 
stone Rivers  to  a  line  some  four  hundred  miles  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Here  it  finds  refuge  in  the  Bad  Lands 
and  rocky  clifl's  that  border  these  streams. 

This  animal  has  few  characteristics  in  common  with  the 
domestic  Sheep.  The  horns  of  the  wild  ram  resemble  some- 
what those  of  the  domestic  species,  although  much  more 
massive;  but  the  wild  ewe  has  horns  six  to  eight  inches 
long,  that  curve  backward,  while  the  domestic  ewe  has  none. 
The  wild  Sheep  has  a  heavy  coat  of  stiff,  coarse  hair,  much 
like  that  of  the  Elk.  Some  writers  have  stated  that  under- 
neath this  there  is  a  heavy  coat  of  wool.  This  is  an  exag- 
geration. There  is  l^ut  a  scant  allotment  of  the  wool — not 
enough  to  hide  the  skin  when  the  hair  is  plucked  out. 

In  color,  also,  Oris  Mont  una  closely  resembles  the  Elk, 
being  of  a  light-brown,  or  almost  red,  in  summer,  and  turn- 
ing to  a  gray  in  winter.  It  has  the  same  ashy-white  patch 
on  the  rump  as  is  seen  on  the  Elk,  while  the  muzzle  is 
lighter  colored,  and  the  belly  and  fianks  are  white.  The 
tail  is  only  about  two  inches  long,  and  seems  to  be  entirely 
useless. 

The  rams  grow  to  a  height  of  three  feet  and  six  inches 
at  the  shoulder,  and  attain  a  weight  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  while  the  ewes  average  about  one-third  smaller. 

The  horns  of  the  male  grow  to  a  great  size.  I  have  in 
my  collection  the  head  of  a  ram,  killed  in  the  Little  Mis- 
souri Bad  Lands,  the  horns  of  u  Inch  measure  sixteen  inches 
in  circumference  at  the  base,  and  thirtv-six  and  one-fourth 


366 


BIG   GAME   OF    XOKTII    AMERICA. 


inches  in  length.  They  are  badly  battered  at  the  tips, 
from  lighting— probably  two  or  three  inche.s  of  each  horn 
having  been  broken  off.  The  peculiar  shape  of  the  horns 
of  the  ewe  hns  frequently  caused  her  to  be  mistaken  for  an 
Ibex,  or  a  species  of  "  Red  Goat,"  by  inexperienced  hunters. 
The  appearan(;e  of  the  Big  Horn  in  the  Missouri  and  Yel- 
lowstone A^alleys  seems  to  liave  been  due  to  some  accident 
or  caprice,  though  the  bands  that  are  there  seem  contented, 


*'<'^ 

■    "*w." 

4 

\    '# 

.;  ' 

■'  '. 

Wk 

f^ 

- 

i 

r^n^ 

^m^ 

1 

{ 

^^^^^^^^^H^^^^^^t' 

WM 

1 

1 

\ 

^n|Hni  II  iiinHT  i 

■->-  -ii^Km 

wHw^ 

1 

Mother  and  Son. 


and  make  no  effort  to  migrate  to  the  mountains.  The 
favoi'ite  haunt  of  the  species  in  general  is.  as  already  stated, 
the  higher  ranges  of  mountains,  in  the  neighborhood  of  per- 
petual snow  and  ice.  They  are  occasionally  found  at  an 
altitude  of  twelve  thousand  feet  in  summer,  though  in  the 
early  spring  tliey  frequently  descend  into  the  valleys,  in 
search  of  the  first  green  vegetation,  or  of  alkali. 

The  ability  of  the  wild  Sheep  to  scale  forbidding  beds  of 
rock  an<l  ice  is  owing  to  their  being  shod  with  a  pad  of  a 
soft,    black   substance    closely  resembling    crude    rubber, 


THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAIN   SIIEKP.  367 

which  clings  with  great  tenacity  to  any  object  with  which 
it  comes  in  contact. 

The  young  of  this  species  (usually  one,  but  smnetimes 
two  in  number)  are  dropped  in  May  or  the  early  part  of 
June;  and  when  a  few  days  old,  will  follow  their  mothers, 
if  alarmed,  over  rocky  walls  where  it  would  seem  that  a 
Wildcat  could  scarcely  find  a  foot-hold. 

The  flesh  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Sheep  is  adjudged  by 
most  hunters  the  most  delicious  venison  in  the  mountains, 
and  the  roasted  ribs  of  a  fat  young  ram,  with  a  couple  of 
hard-tacks,  have  often,  after  a  hard  day's  climb,  furnished 
me  a  repast  that  I  have  relished  more,  beside  my  camp-fire, 
than  any  spread  I  ever  sat  down  to  within  the  confines  of 
civilization. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  natural  instincts  of  the  Big 
Horn,  he  may  be  overcome  by  the  experienced  and  skillful 
hunter.  The  natural  alertness,  the  wariness,  the  keen  eye, 
the  quick  ear,  and  the  acute  scent  of  the  one,  are  no  match 
for  the  trained  eye,  the  cat-like  tread  of  moccasined  foot, 
the  superior  reasoning  faculties,  and  the  breech-loading 
rifle  of  the  other;  for,  after  all,  the  white  man  is  the  smart- 
est animal  on  the  earth.  And  so  the  doom  of  the  ]Mountain 
Sheep  is  written  in  his  own  blood,  as  is  that  of  all  the  large 
game  animals  on  this  continent.  How  long  it  will  be  before 
the  bones  of  the  last  specimen  of  this  noble  race  are  left  to 
whiten  on  his  native  rocks,  it  is  impossible  to  say;  but  it  is 
only  a  question  of  time. 

Within  the  memorj^  of  men  now  living,  there  were  thou- 
sands of  wild  Sheep  on  various  mountain  ranges  in  Colo- 
rado where  not  a  track  of  one  has  been  seen  for  five  years 
past;  and  some  of  the  best-informed  hunters  and  guides 
assert  that  there  are  not  now  a  hundred  Big  Horns  left  in 
that  whole  State.  In  all  the  far  western  States  and  Terri- 
tories, the  Sheep  have  been  rapidly  reduced  in  numbers,  year 
by  year,  until  now  they  can  only  be  found  in  small  bands, 
and  in  the  most  remote  fastnesses  on  the  continent. 

Perhaps  the  best  hunting  of  this  class  is  now  to  be  found 
in  British  Columbia;  and  as  few  readers  of  this  volume  will 


368  BIG   GAME   OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

ever  have  the  opportunities  that  I  have  been  fortunate 
enough  to  enjoy  for  hunting  and  studying  this  game,  I 
will  narrate  some  of  the  incidents  of  a  trip  I  made  into  this 
northern  range  in  the  autumn  of  1887. 

We  had  traveled  on  horseback — carrying  our  camp 
supplies  on  pack-animals— a  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five  miles  from  Spokane  Falls,  and  on  arriving  at 
Loomis'  ranch,  the  last  one  we  were  to  pass  before  starting 
up  the  mountain,  we  deposited  there  all  our  provisions 
except  enough  to  last  us  five  days,  and  on  the  following 
morning  started  on  the  trail  that  leads  through  the  foot-hills 
to  and  up  Mount  Chopaca. 

We  reached  timber-line,  on  the  first  peak,  late  in  the 
'afternoon,  and  hunted  there  that  evening,  but  saw  no  signs 
of  Sheep,  though  we  found  plenty  of  Deer,  and  killed  one 
fawn  for  present  use. 

Before  dark  I  prospected  the  range,  and  seeing  another 
peak  about  three  miles  northwest  that  looked  better,  we 
started  for  it  at  daylight  next  morning,  with  our  rifles  and 
saddle-horses,  leaving  everything  else  behind.  We  reached 
the  base  of  it,  and  rode  our  horses  up  as  far  as  they  could 
go.  Then  we  picketed  them  on  a  grassy  bench,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  climb  to  the  top  on  foot. 

We  separated  soon  after  leaving  our  horses.  AVhen  I 
reached  the  summit,  I  took  out  my  field-glass,  adjusted  it, 
and  commenced  to  sweep  the  surrounding  country  for 
game.  I  had  just  got  fairly  settled  down  to  looking,  when 
I  saw  a  large  band  of  animals  quietly  feeding  along  the 
side  of  a  spur  of  the  mountain  nearly  a  mile  away,  and 
several  hundred  feet  below  me.  At  flrst,  it  was  difficult  to 
determine  whether  they  were  Mountain  Sheep  or  Deer,  but 
a  minute's  scrutiny  revealed  the  fact  that  they  were  Ovis 
Montana.  I  had  now  no  interest  in  whatever  else  might  be 
seen  from  the  peak,  and  returning  the  fleld-glass  to  its  case, 
I  made  a  hurried  descent  from  the  summit,  to  get  to  the 
diverging  ridge  on  which  the  Sheep  were. 

And  here  let  me  digress  to  say  that  a  good  fleld-glass  is 
an  almost  indispensable  item  in   a  hunting-outflt  for  the 


THE    UOCKY    MOUNTAIN   SHEEP.  869 

mountains.  It  often  saves  one  long  walks  and  weary  climbs. 
By  its  aid  you  may  often  turn  a  black  log  into  a  Bear,  a  few 
gray  rocks  into  a  bunch  of  Sheep  or  Deer,  or  mce  versa. 
By  its  aid  you  may  often  find  game  on  what  appears  to  be 
open,  nnoccnpied  ground,  and  where  you  would  not  think 
of  going  to  look  for  game  if  you  did  not  first  see  it  there. 
Then  you  have  a  great  advantage  in  stalking  the  game  if 
you  know  exactly  where  it  is  while  so  far  away.  You 
would  often  frighten  it  by  a  noisy  misstep,  or  by  approaching 
it  from  the  wind\Vard,  if  you  did  not  know  its  exact  where- 
abouts. I  should  never  have  seen  this  band  of  Sheep  at  all 
had  I  not  had  the  glass,  for  they  were  on  ground  that  I 
should  not  have  considered  favorable,  and  should  never 
have  gone  there  to  look  for  them.  Furthermore,  the  gla«s 
is  useful  in  picking  out  routes  through  an  unknown  coun- 
try. You  may  often  see,  b}^  the  aid  of  the  glass,  and  from 
a  promontory,  a  trail,  miles  away,  winding  uf)  or  down 
the  side  of  a  mountain,  or  along  a  stream,  or  over  a  prairie, 
that  you  would  never  have  found  with  the  naked  eye. 
You  may,  with-it,  find  broad  fields  of  impassable  slide- 
roclv.  or  great  swamps,  in  time  to  avoid  them,  where  to 
the  naked  eye  all  looked  fair.  A  good  field-glass  costs 
but  a  few  dollars,  w^eighs  only  a  pound  or  two,  and,  to 
a  hunter  in  the  mountains,  is  often  worth  its  w^eight  in 
gold. 

When  I  got  downi  onto  the  lower  ridge,  where  I  Avas  out 
of  sight  of  the  Sheep,  my  next  precaution  was  to  make  a 
wide  detour,  to  get  to  the  leeward  of  them.  Then,  being 
within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  them,  I  started  with  cautious, 
cat-like  tread  to  move  toward  them.  The  hill  was  covered 
with  "chip  rocks'' — that  is,  small  fiakes  of  shale,  over 
which  it  was  almost  impossible  to  walk  without  making 
some  noise;  but  my  feet  being  shod  with  moccasins,  T  was 
able,  by  exercising  the  utmost  care,  to  move  quietly.  How- 
ever, when  I  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge  opposite  where  I 
thought  the  Sheep  should  l)e.  and  peered  cautiously  over, 
there  stood  the  old  ram,  evidently  the  sultan  who  ruled 
this  large  liarem,  looking  at  me. 

24 


370  i{i(;  (lAMK  OK  N<Mrrir  America. 

The  lieel -plate  of  the  ritle  was  already  pressing  my 
shoulder,  and  my  first  view  of  him  was  over  the  gleaming 
barrel.  Tnstanth',  the  little  gold  front  .sight  gleamed  like 
a  spark  of  Hiv  on  his  great,  broad,  muscular  chest,  and  ere 
he  had  determined  wdiat  the  sti-ange  apparition  was  that 
had  risen  so  stealthily  on  the  horizon,  a  cloud  of  smoke  hid 
him  momentarily  from  me,  a  deafening  detonation  went 
rolling  and  echoing  across  the  canon,  and  the  sultan  fell 
struggling  in  his  tracks.  He  was  nearer  to  me  than  I  had 
thought,  and  having  taken  a  little  coarser  aim  than  neces- 
sary, the  bullet  had  gone  three  or  four  inches  higher  than 
I  intended,  and  had  broken  his  neck. 

Nearly  all  writers  who  have  written  of  this  animal  have 
told  lis  of  its.  wonderful  vitality,  and  that  if  shot,  almost 
anywhere,  even  through  the  heart,  it  will  invariably  run 
from  two  hundred  yards  to  a  mile  before  falling;  and  not' 
knowing  that  my  bullet  had  gone  above  the  point  aimed  at, 
I  was  surprised  to  see  this  ram  drop  in  his  tracks. 

We  have  furthermore  been  told,  by  these  same  writers, 
that  the  wild  Sheep  of  the  mountains  always  run  up-hill 
when  alarmed.  This  is  also  an  error.  All  my  exj^erience 
with  them  has  been  directly  in  conti-adiction  of  this  state- 
ment; and  this  herd  (like  all  the  others  I  have  ever  fright- 
ened) lit  out  down  the  hill  at  the  best  speed  they  could 
make.  I  fired  two  shots  at  them  as  they  went,  but  none  of 
them  stopped.  They  went  to  the  bottom  of  a  deep  canon, 
crossed  it,  and  climbed  the  other  side,  disappearing  around 
the  point  of  a  mountain  half  a  mile  away.  I  counted  them 
as  they  went  up,  and  there  were  twenty-three  of  them, 
nearly  all  ewes  and  lambs. 

Then  I  turned  my  attention  to  the  ram.  He  had  stood  on 
the  brink  of  the  hill,  and  in  his  dying  struggles  was  gradu- 
ally working  over  it.  H'  he  should  once  get  started  down 
it.  he  would  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  canon,  which  was  at 
Irast  six  hundred  feet  deep,  and  I  had  to  catch  him  by  a 
hind  foot  and  liold  him  till  he  was  dead. 

Immediately  after  I  finished  my  fusillade,  I  heard  my 
companion  fire  four  shots  in  rapid  succession,  away  across 


THE   ROCKY   MOIWTAIN   SHEEP. 


371 


the  canon.  When  he  came  to  me,  lie  said  he  had  h)cated 
four  Sheep,  and  was  sneaking  on  tliem  wlien  I  lired.  My 
shots  alarmed  them,  and  they  ran.  lie  shot  at  them  at 
long  range,  and  (me  ram  fell,  but  immediately  got  up  and 
,  tried  to  run.  He  kept  falling  and  staggering  till  he  reached 
the  brink  of  a  great  precipice,  when  he  fell  over  and 
went  to  the  bottom  of  it,  no  doubt  cruslied  to  a  shapeless 


The   Sultan  of  Chopaca. 

mass.  Miller  thinks  the  Sheep  was  nearly  dead  when  he 
started  down,  and  is  sure  he  was  nothing  more  than  a  mass 
of  sausage  when  he  reached  the  foot.  He  said  he  was  not 
hunting  that  kind  of  meat,  and  would  not  have  gone  down 
that  heathenish  hill-side  after  him  if  there  had  been  three 
barrels  of  him. 

We  took  the  head,  skin,  and  saddle  of  the  big  ram  I 
had  killed  (and  whose  portrait  is  shown  herewith),  carried 


372  iu(i  ga:sik  of  noktii  amerii'a. 

them  down  to  our  horses,  lashed  them  on  our  saddles,  and 
returned  to  camp. 

The  next  morning  I  went  back  over  the  same  ground,  to 
see  if  there  were  any  more  Sheep  in  sight,  and  as  I  neared 
the  to23  of  the  same  ridge  on  which  I  had  killed  the  big 
ram,  I  heard  strange  noises  issuing  from  beyond  it;  and 
advancing  cautiously  to  the  top,  saw  a  Wildcat  and  a 
Co^'ote  engaged  in  a  fight  over  a  shoulder-blade  of  this 
same  Sheep,  which  was  already  pretty  well  polished, 

I  was  careful  not  to  disturb  them,  and  taking  a  reserved 
seat  in  the  front  row,  watched  the  circus  till  the  end  of 
the  last  act.  The  vaimints  seemed  well  matched  in  size, 
strength,  and  courage,  but  their  tactics  varied  widely. 
The  Cat,  of  course,  dei^ended  mainly  on  its  claws  as  w^eap- 
ons,  while  the  Coyote's  best  hold  was  with  his  teeth.  The 
Cat  was  quicker  and  more  elastic  in  his  movements,  while 
the  little  Wolf  was  the  more  deliberate,  and  the  better 
stayer.  The  Cat  seemed  the  more  sanguine  of  the  two, 
the  more  anxious  for  the  i:)ossession  of  the  property  in  dis- 
pute, and  in  greater  haste  than  his  antagonist  to  push  the 
battle  to  a  speedy  conclusion.  He  seemed  determined  to 
have  the  bone,  even  though  he  should  have  to  wade  through 
blood  and  hair  a  foot  deep  to  get  it;  and  the  Cam's  latrans 
seemed  determined  to  stay  by  it  as  long  as  he  had  a  piece 
of  skin  on  him  as  big  as  a  postage-stamp. 

When  I  lirst  sighted  the  contestants,  they  were  in  the 
midst  of  a  sanguinary  round,  but  finished  it  in  a  few- 
seconds,  and  separating,  as  if  by  mutual  consent,  both 
backed  off  a  few  i)aces  and  sat  down.  The  Wolf  growled, 
snarled,  showed  his  ivories,  and  licked  his  wounds  in  turn; 
while  the  Cat  hissed,  spit,  and  caterwauled,  much  as  a 
domestic  cat  does  when  engaged  in  a  family  row. 

Finally,  the  Coyote  started  for  the  Cat,  and  no  sooner 
had  he  taken  a  step  than  the  Cat  shot  into  the  air,  clearing 
at  least  ten  feet  in  a  single  lea^),  and  lit  on  top  of  the  Coy- 
ote. Then  there  was  snapping,  clawing,  snarling,  yawling, 
howling,  and  shrieking.  Teeth  and  toe-nails  contended 
valorously  fur  the  victory;  the  air  was  filled  with  hair,  and 


THE   KOCKV    MOUXTAIX    SIIEKP.  878 

rent  with  cries  of  rage  and  slirieks  of  pain.     To  paraphrase 
John  Hay,  or  whoever  it  was  that  wrote  it : 

He  tried  for  to  chaw  the  neck  of  the  Cat, 

But  tlie  Cat  he  wouldn't  be  chawed ; 
So  he  lit  on  the  back  of  that  there  Wolf, 

And  bit,  and  clawed,  and  clawed. 
Oh,  the  hair  it  flew,  and  the  Wolf  he  howled. 

As  the  claws  went  into  his  hide. 
And  chunks  of  flesh  were  peeled  from  his  back,         * 

And  he  fluniixed,  and  kicked,  and  kiyied. 

Blood  flowed  until  the  snow  looked  as  if  a  dozen  chick- 
ens had  been  beheaded  at  once  and  thrown  otit  there  to 
flutter  their  lives  away.  The  pent-up  fury  of  Goths  and 
Vtmdals  seemed  concentrated  in  these  fier}-  little  creatures. 
They  writhed,  struggled,  clawed,  and  gnawed  each  other 
in  a  way  that  was  truly  frightful.  They  rolled  over  and 
over,  and  seemed  like  a  single  monster  in  the  throes  of 
death.  Sometimes  they  were  almost  buried  in  the  cloud  of 
snow  thrown  up  in  their  struggles.  Hostile  arrows  from 
the  bows  of  enraged  savages  never  flew  with  greater  swift- 
ness than  did  these  creatures  move  in  theii'  efi'orts  to  devour 
each  other;  nor  did  the  arrows  ever  smite  their  victims  with 
more  terrible  emphasis  than  the  claws  and  fangs  of  these 
animals  sought  each  other's  vitals. 

When  both  seemed  exhausted,  they  again  drew  off. 
Again  they  sat,  nursing  their  wrath  and  recovering  their 
wind,  for  perhaps  two  or  three  minutes.  Still,  both  seemed 
anxious  for  the  flnish,  and  without  awaiting  the  call  of 
"time,"  both  sailed  in.  xlnotlier  cloud  of  hair  and  snow 
filled  the  air  and  enveloped  the  contestants.  More  screams 
and  yells  made  the  day  hideous,  tmd  this  round  was  fought 
through  much  as  the  others  had  been.  Round  after  round 
was  savagely  contested,  and  though  both  of  the  little  gladi- 
ators were  becoming  visibly  weakened  l)y  suft'eriiig  and  loss 
of  blood,  neither  seemed  disposed  to  yield.  After  the  fifth 
round  that  I  had  seen,  the  rest  was  much  longer  than  at 
the  end  of  either  of  the  others.  Xeither  comljatant  seemed 
disposed  to  renew  the  trouble,  though  neither  seenn-d  the 
least  inclined  to  yield  the  belt,  or  the  bone.     I  decided  to 


374  BIG  GAM?:  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

assume  the  role  of  referee,  and  mentally  declaring  the  light 
a  draw,  took  a  shot  at  the  Cat.  This  broke  up  the  affair 
suddenh^ 

The  Cat  stood  with  his  head  to  my  right  when  I  lired. 
I  held  for  his  shoulder,  but  realized  that,  as  I  i^ulled  the 
trigger,  I  pulled  the  muzzle  off  to  the  right.  "  There,"  I  said 
to  myself,  "I  have  missed  him."  But  when  the  smoke 
cleared  away,  I  was  surprised  to  see  him  floundering  where 
he  had  stood.  I  then  turned  my  attention  to  the  Coyote, 
who,  notwithstanding  the  hard  work  he  had  lately  done 
and  the  large  quantity  of  gore  he  had  wasted,  was  getting 
out  of  the  country  at  a  rate  that  would  have  left  the  fastest 
horse  on  the  turf  out  of  sight  in  live  minutes.  I  shot  at 
him  three  times,  but  he  did  not  stoj) — at  least  not  while  I 
could  see  him.  He  was  headed  straight  for  Mexico,  and, 
for  aught  I  know,  is  there  now. 

Then  I  went  to  pick  up  my  Cat;  but  he  was  gone,  too.  I 
went  to  where  he  had  stood  when  I  shot,  and  found  some 
small  pieces  of  meat  and  bones,  some  blood  and  some  hair, 
but  the  rest  of  him  was  gone.  There  was  a  deej)  gulch  close 
by,  and  I  tracked  him  where  he  had  rolled  and  tumbled 
to  the  brink  of  this,  apparently  making  his  dying  kicks  as 
he  went.  He  had  tumbled  down  into  it,  and  I  followed. 
I  saw  several  places  where  he  had  struck  rocks  or  bushes, 
leaving  blood  and  hair  on  them,  and  fully  expected  to  find 
him  dead  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  if  not  lodged  somewhere 
this  side.  I  slid  and  scrambled  down  about  three  hundred 
feet,  when  I  found  where  the  x^esky  varmint  had  gotten  his 
feet  again  and  gone  off  on  a  series  of  long  jumps  that 
would  have  done  honor  to  a  healthy  jack-rabbit.  I  fol- 
lowed him  a  considerable  distance,  and  though  he  was 
leaving  some  blood  on  his  trail,  he  seemed  to  be  getting 
nicely  rested,  and  to  have  started  for  Hudson's  Bay.  So, 
with  a  sad  heart  and  a  pair  of  tired  legs,  I  climbed  back  up 
the  almost  perpendicular  wall  of  the  gulch  to  the  scene  of 
the  battle.  It  seemed  that  I  had  not  pulled  off  quite  so  far 
as  1  supposed,  and  had  shot  away  either  his  nose  or  his 
lower  j[iw     uiost  likely  the  latter. 


TIIK    IIOCKY    MorXTAIX    SIIKKP.  375 

The  baud  of  81ieep  we  had  frigliteued  the  day  before 
seemed  to  liave  left  this  region,  and  not  finding  any  others, 
we  returned  to  the  ranch,  and  outfitting  anew  for  ten  days, 
started  for  a  Sheep  country  of  which  we  had  heard  a  great 
deal,  and  which  lay  forty  miles  to  the  northwest.  This 
was  near  the  head  of  Ashanola  Creek,  a  stream  which  rises 
among  the  snow-clad,  storm-swept  crags  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains,  in  Northern  Washington,  flows  north,  and  emp- 
ties into  the  Similkimeen  River  in  Britisli  Columbia.  The 
country  drained  by  this  stream  is  undoubtedl\'  one  of  the 
greatest  Mountain  Sheej)  ranges  remaining  on  this  conti- 
nent. Nearly  all  the  mountains  and  foot-hills  in  this  por- 
tion of  the  range  have  large,  oi)en  plateaus  and  parks  on 
their  tops  or  sides,  which  are  covered  with  a  luxuriant 
growth  of  bunch-grass,  affording  good  food  for  the  wild 
Sheep;  and  it  seems  that  they  have  congregated  here  from 
all  other  portions  of  the  Cascade  Range.  They  luive  made 
this  their  home,  their  trj'sting-place,  their  breeding-ground, 
and  their  pasture.  In  winter  or  summer,  bands  of  them, 
numbering  anywhere  from  a  dozen  to  fifty,  may  be  seen 
feeding  or  reposing  in  these  parks,  or  on  the  rocky  hill- 
sides near  them. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  we  started  for  this  great 
Sheep-range.  The  first  day  out,  we  rode  to  an  Indian 
ranch  on  Ashanola  Creek,  four  miles  above  its  mouth,  and 
went  into  camp  at  three  o'clock.  We  had  just  taken  the 
saddles  and  packs  off  the  horses,  when  a  wild- looking 
squaw  rode  up  to  us  and  demanded  two  dollars  for  the 
privilege  of  camping  on  her  land.  We  objected  to  i)aying 
such  a  price,  but  she  was  obdurate.  We  discussed  the 
prox)riety  of  saddling  up  and  moving  on,  but  the  horses 
were  tired,  and  we  didn't  know  how  far  we  might  have 
to  go  to  lind  another  place  where  they  could  graze:  so 
we  finally  compromised  with  the  "  Kloochman"  at  a  dollar 
for  the  privilege  of  sleeping  ou  her  land  over  night. 

We  pulled  out  early  in  the  morning,  and  after  riding  an 
hour,  arrived  at  the  foot  of  a  high,  steep  mountain,  up 
which  a  trail  went  zigzagging  and  winding  over  rocks  and 


376  BIG    GAME   OK   NORTH    AMERICA. 

crags  as  far  as  we  could  see.  From  the  directions  given  us, 
we  supposed  this  to  be  the  trail  we  were  to  follow.  We 
climbed  the  mountain  to  its  summit,  a  hard  piece  of  work, 
which  took  till  afternoon.  When  we  got  there,  we  found  an 
open,  grassy  country,  such  as  we  were  looking  for;  but 
bands  of  horses  and  cattle  were  grazing  all  over  it,  and  not 
a  Sheep  or  Sheej)-track  was  to  be  found. 

My  guide,  a  half-breed  Indian,  had,  in  the  face  of  my 
earnest  protest,  allowed  his  dog  to  follow  us.  He  was  a 
young  mongrel,  and  I  felt  sure  he  would  V)e  a  nuisance;  but 
Charley  insisted  that  he  was  a  good  dog,  and  would  be 
useful  to  us  in  various  Avays.  He  had  already  had  several 
runs  after  Deer  along  the  trail,  and  now  that  we  had  got 
into  a  countr}^  where  they  were  abundant,  his  squeaky  yelp 
was  heard  in  the  land  all  the  time.  He  ran  by  sight,  and 
as  soon  as  one  Deer  had  gone  away  and  left  him,  he  Avould 
jump  another.  Before  we  had  had  time  to  ascertain 
whether  there  were  any  Sheep  on  this  mountain  or  not,  I 
was  mad  enough  at  the  imp  to  shoot  him  all  to  pieces.  I 
knew  that  if  tliere  was  any  game  in  the  country,  he  would 
drive  it  all  out  long  before  we  could  get  sight  of  it.  I  told 
Charley  if  he  didn't  round  up  the  infernal  cur  and  picket 
him,  I  would  brand  him  with  an  Express  bullet.  He  said 
he  would,  just  as  soon  as  he  could  catch  him.  ])ut  that  was 
a  very  indefinite  quantity. 

AVe  went  into  camp,  and  the  dog  had  Deer  running  all 
around  us  before  we  got  the  tent  pitched.  Some  of  them 
almost  ran  over  us.  A  band  of  eight  or  ten  came  bounding 
down  the  side  of  tlie  mountain,  and  stopped  within  thirty 
yards  of  us.  Charley  picked  up  his  ritle  and  killed  a  fat 
young  buck,  which  we  needed  in  our  business.  Then  some 
Indians  who  were  camped  near  us,  hunting  Deer  and  dry- 
in-  meat,  came  to  us  and  asked  if  we  wanted  that  dog  any 
more.  Charley  said  we  did,  and  tliey  said  then  we  had 
better  tie  him  up;  they  wanted  what  few  Deer  there  were 
ai'ound  there,  and  he  was  driving  them  all  away.  We 
asked  them  about  the  Sheep,  and  they  said  we  had  climbed 
the  iiiouutaiu  too  soon:   that  we  must  go  back  to  the  creek, 


THE  ijorKv  MoixTAfx  siihp:p,  877 

follow  it  up  about  two  miles,   and  then  climl)   another 
mountain  like  the  one  we  were  on. 

It  rained  that  night,  and  early  the  next  morning  we 
started  to  retrace  our  steps.  We  slid  down  the  mountain, 
followed  the  creek  up  till  we  found  a  trail  leading  up 
another  rocky  wall,  and  followed  it.  This  proved  lo  he  a 
much  higher  mountain  than  the  other,  and  my  l)a('k  was 
alniOst  broken  when  ^ve  reached  the  to])  of  it.  AVe  saw 
X)lenty  of  fresh  Sheep-tracks  as  we  went  uj*,  however,  and 
the  knowledge  that  at  last  we  had  f(jund  the  home  of  the 
Big  Horns  sweetened  the  toil. 

Near  the  top  of  the  mountain,  we  met  a  gentleman  from 
Victoria,  British  Columbia.  He  told  us  that  if  we  had 
couie  to  hunt  Sheep  we  need  go  no  farther,  for  we  were 
then  in  a  land  where  tlie}^  were  abundant.  He  had  been 
there,  he  said,  ten  daj's,  and  had  killed  nine — all  old  rams. 
He  could  have  killed  many  more  in  the  time,  but  had  shot 
only  such  as  he  wanted — such  as  had  tine,  large  horns. 
The  proof  of  what  he  said  lay  all  around  his  camp.  Sturdy- 
looking  old  heads,  with  massive,  rolling  horns,  were  on 
every  log;  pltimp,  fat  hams  hung  from  the  trees,  and, 
skins  were  spread  upon  the  ground.  Mr.  Pike  said  he  had 
finished  his  hunt,  and  should  start  for  liome  the  next  day, 
when  we  would  have  the  held  all  to  ourselves. 

We  made  camp  on  the  bank  oi!  a  little  spiing  l)rook,  and 
tied  the  dog  to  the  largest  tree  in  the  grove  with  the  largest 
rope  we  had.  Then  we  started  out,  in  opposite  directions, 
to  prospect  for  game.  I  had  gone  l)ut  a  short  distance, 
when  the  dog  showed  up,  smiling,  and  ready  for  a  run. 
He  had  chewed  the  rope  in  two.  With  a  club,  I  liit  him  a 
blow  across  the  hinder  parts  that  spiit  him  toward  the 
camj)  howling  like  a  Coyote.  From  the  toi»  of  a  ridge.  I 
saw  a  band  of  seven  Sheep  quietly  feeding  on  an  open 
plateau  half  a  mile  away. 

I  made  lively  time  over  the  intervening  ground,  and 
crawling  cautiously  to  the  top  of  a  ridge  near  tlieuj,  X)eeied 
over.  They  had  lain  down,  and  were  quietly  chewing  their 
cuds  and  basking  in  the  afternoon  sun.     I  was  not  yet  near 


378  1510   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

eiioiigli  to  make  sure  of  my  aim;  and  as  the  light  wind  was 
favorable,  I  got  behind  a  large  lir-tree  that  stood  farther 
out  on  the  prairie  toward  them,  and  crawled  cautiously  to 
it.  Then  I  moved  carefully  to  one  side  and  took  a  look  at 
them.  Beautiful  creaturesi  Their  glossy,  gray  coats  glis- 
tened in  the  autumn  sun,  and  their  large,  lustrous,  dark 
e}'es  were  now  plainly  visible.  There  were  three  ewes,  three 
lambs,  and  a  ram.  The  father  of  the  herd  had  but  a  small 
pair  of  horns,  however,  and  to  this  fact  he  owes  his  life,  if 
he  be  still  alive  and  well,  as  I  hope  he  is. 

I  selected  the  largest  ewe,  as  I  wanted  the  heads  of  a 
family,  for  my  collection,  and  training  the  Winchester  so 
that  the  little  gold  front  sight  gleamed  on  her  side,  just 
back  of  the  shoulder,  pressed  the  trigger.  The  band  sprung 
to  their  feet,  huddled  close  together  for  a  moment,  looking 
in  every  direction  for  the  source  of  the  deafening  roar.  I 
remained  hidden,  and  being  unable  to  sight  or  scent  me,  all 
but  the  ewe  I  had  aimed  at  went  bounding  away  down  an 
almost  perpendicular  mountain-side,  over  rocks  and  among 
trees,  and  in  a  moment  were  out  of  sight.  The  one  that  had 
been  my  target  started  with  the  others,  but  after  going  per- 
haps twenty  or  thirty  feet,  she  stopped,  with  her  head  down, 
paused  a  moment,  turned  two  or  three  times  around,  sank 
down,  and  died  without  a  struggle.  The  Express  bullet 
had  done  its  work  effectually.  Two  ribs  were  broken  where 
it  went  in,  three  where  it  came  out,  and  her  lungs  were  torn 
to  shreds. 

Returning  to  camp,  I  found  the  half-breed  there,  with 
the  head  of  a  large  ram  that  he  had  killed.  He  reported 
having  seen  two  large  herds.  The  evening  was  devoted  to 
skinning  and  preparing  the  heads  of  the  two  specimens,  to 
cooking,  eating,  cleaning  rifles,  etc.  AVe  gathered  dry  logs, 
and  ))ranclies  of  tir,  pine,  and  cedar,  and  made  a  roaring 
Are  that  might  have  been  seen  from  mountains  ten  miles 
away.  We  Avere  in  a  hunter's  paradise.  Game  was  abun- 
dant all  about  us,  awaiting  the  test  of  our  skill  in  hunting 
and  shooting,  on  the  morrow;  our  stomachs  were  full  of 
good,   nutritious  food;   a  cold,  clear  mountain  brook  war- 


TIIK    UOCKY    MOUNTAIN   SIIPJKP,  871) 

bled  its  sweet  music  in  our  willing  ears;  our  tent  was 
pitched,  and  in  it  soft  beds  of  lir-bouglis  awaited  us;  our 
fire  burned  brightly,  and  we  had  been  successful  in  our 
afternoon's  hunt.  AVliat  renuiined  to  complete  our  happi- 
ness ? 

Speaking  for  the  half-breed,  nothing.  He  lay  on  his 
stomach  and  gazed  complacently  into  the  lire,  saying  noth- 
ing save  when  spoken  to,  and  then  usually  answering  in 
monosyllables  and  grants.  He  was  good-natured  and  will- 
ing, but  inherited  the  moroseness  of  his  maternal  ancestors, 
and  on  this  night,  as  was  his  custom,  went  to  bed  soon  after 
supper. 

But,  si)eaking  for  myself,  I  lacked  a  companion,  or  half 
a  dozen  of  them,  for  that  matter.  If  I  had  had  a  good, 
genial  friend  there — one  who  could  keep  his  end  of  the 
whippletree  up,  or  even  one  who  would  have  listened 
gracefully — I  could  have  poured  forth  a  string  of  yarns, 
reminiscences,  and  the  like,  that  would  have  reached  far 
into  the  night.  I  was  in  a  mood  to  talk,  but  had  no  one 
worth  a  continental  to  talk  to;  or,  I  could  have  listened 
most  eloquently  had  there  been  someone  to  talk  to  me.  I 
w^anted  somebody  to  commune  with;  but  this  communing 
is  not  Charley's  forte.  I  could  even  have  been  happy 
alone.  I  have  spent  many  days  and  nights  in  the  mount- 
ains entirely  alone,  and  never  felt  lonely,  for  then  I  could 
commune  with  Xature  and  my  own  thoughts;  Ijiit  in  jKjor 
company  I  am  alwaj's  lonely. 

Besides,  I  am  of  a  generous  nature,  and  if  I  have  a  good 
thing,  and  there  is  more  of  it  than  I  can  use,  I  like  to  i)ass 
it  around.  Here  I  had  a  large  stock  of  camp  comfort,  of 
enthusiasm,  of  vitality,  of  wood,  food,  water,  and  game,  and 
no  one  to  unload  them  on.  I  simply  had  to  bottle  up  my 
sociability  and  save  it  for  some  future  occasion.  I  hope  to 
corral  a  dozen  or  so  of  my  friends  in  just  such  a  place  as 
this,  some  night,  surrounded  by  just  sucli  pleasant  con<li- 
tions  as  we  were  surrounded  with  there,  and  then  Ubk  them 
if  they  are  not  glad  they  enlisted. 


380  BIG  gamp:  of  north  ameuica. 


As  tlie  lirst  rays  of  the  golden  morning  liglit  shot  across 
the  grassy  phiteaiis,  the  evergreen  groves,  the  snow-capped 
peaks  of  iNIount  Ki-icht-hutl,  I  took  up  tlie  field-glass  and 
scanned  that  portion  of  the  country  visible  from  our  camp, 
for  game.  1  soon  hx'ated  two  magnificent  old  rams  standing 
on  a  ridge  a  few  hundred  yards  away,  gazing  down  in  a  stu 
pid,  curious  way  at  our  camp-fire.  Their  great,  muscular 
bodies,  clad  in  their  heavy  winter  coats  of  dark,  coarse  hair, 
witli  the  peculiar  white  patch  about  the  rump;  their  strong 
but  shapely  limbs  and  massive,  rolling  horns,  oiitlined 
against  tlie  bright  gray  of  the  morning  sky,  afforded  a  fine 
study,  and  I  watched  them  for  some  minutes  with  the  most 
intense  interest  before  attempting  to  secure  one  of  them. 

There  was  no  cover  that  would  enable  us  to  approach 
nearer  to  them,  and  our  only  chance  for  a  shot  was  to  take 
it  from  where  we  were.  We  picked  up  our  rifies,  assumed 
what  is  known  on  the  rifie-ranges  as  the  kneeling  position, 
took  careful  aim  at  the  larger  animal,  and  fired.  They  were 
too  far  away,  however,  for  effective  shooting,  and  we  both 
failed  to  score.  At  the  double  report  they  bounded  away 
a  short  distance,  stopped,  took  another  brief  look  at  us, 
and  then  disappeared  behind  the  hill.  Charley  followed 
them,  while  I  breakfasted.  lie  failed  to  get  another  shot  at 
these,  but  returned  in  half  an  hour  with  a  large  ewe  that  he 
h;ul  killed  a  short  distance  beyond  where  they  had  stood. 

I  went  to  the  top  of  a  high  hill  near  camp,  and  from 
there  saw  four  separate  bands  of  Sheep.  The  smallest  num- 
bered twelve;  the  next  larger,  nineteen;  the  next,  thirty- 
two;  and  the  largest,  something  over  fifty.  They  were  on 
a  broad,  open  table-land,  about  a  mile  away,  in  such  a  posi 
tion  that  it  was  well-nigh  impossible  to  get  within  shooting- 
distance  of  them.  I  made  a  long  detour  to  the  left  in  the 
li(;])e  of  approaching  them — moving  cautiously  througli 
small  groves  of  timber,  crawling  on  the  ground  behind 
slight  elevations  or  ridges,  skulking  from  tree  to  tree  and 
from  i-ock  to  lock. 

In  this  way  I  traveled  perhaps  two  miles.  At  frequent 
iutervals.   a  Mule    Deer,  and   sometimes   several  of   them, 


THE    IIOCKY    MOUNTAIN   SHEEP.  381 

would  get  u}),  Stare  at  me  for  a  lew  niiiiiites,  and  then  run, 
usually  toward  the  creek.  One  band  of  ten  danced  along 
ahead  of  me  for  nearly  a  mile.  They  would  run  fifty  or  a 
hundred  yards,  then  stop  and  look  at  me;  niblde  the  grass 
or  shrubs  until  I  came  near  them,  and  then  bound  away 
again.  Finally,  they  seemed  to  tire  of  my  society,  and 
sailed  away  right  through  the  Sheep-pasture.  All  this 
hegira  of  the  Deer  alarmed  the  Sheep;  they  became  restive, 
and  moved  nervously  about.  I  frequently  peered  over  a 
ridge  or  through  a  thick  clump  of  trees  and  watclied  their 
movements,  but  was  careful  that  they  should  not  get  a 
glimpse  of  me.  I  was  also  careful  to  keep  to  the  leeward, 
or  at  least  across  the  wind  from  the  game,  so  that  they  might 
not  scent  me. 

One  by  one  the  smaller  bands  finally  took  the  alarai 
from  tlie  fleeing  Deer,  stampeded,  and  ran  aw^ay;  but  the 
larger  band,  seeming  to  feel  more  confidence  in  its  videttes, 
stood  its  ground.  Nearly  all  the  herd  went  into  a  deep 
draw  to  escape  the  cold,  raw  wind  that  was  now  blowing, 
and  laid  down.  I  felt  sure  of  getting  within  easy  range  of 
them.  I  passed  on  through  a  strip  of  down  timber,  then 
over  several  wide  beds  of  broken  and  disordered  porphyry. 
Having  got  opj)osite  the  pocket  in  which  I  had  last  seen  the 
Big  Horns,  I  now  started  to  crawl  directly  toward  it.  I 
hoped  to  get  on  the  brink  of  the  hill  above  them,  and  to 
pick  out  and  kill  the  best  ram  in  the  flock,  before  they 
became  aware  of  my  presence;  but  I  still  kept  jumping 
Deer,  every  one  of  which  ran  by  the  Sheep,  and  some  of 
them  right  through  the  herd. 

When  at  last  I  reached  the  brow  of  the  hill,  removed 
my  hat,  and  cautiously  peered  through  the  grass  on  its 
apex  into  the  draw,  there  was  not  a  Sheep  in  sight.  Exam- 
ining the  ground,  I  found  a  great  manv  tracks,  all  indicating 
that  the  animals  that  made  them  had  hurriedly  fled  to  the 
north.  Silently  following  them  up  to  the  head  of  the 
ravine,  over  a  barren,  rocky  ridge,  and  through  a  narrow 
strip  of  stunted  timber,  I  saw  them  in  the  middle  of 
another  small  park.     They  had  again  apparently  relapsed 


382  BIO   (iAMK   OF   NORTH   A3IERICA. 

into  a  feeling  of  security,  and  I  crawled  to  within  about 
iifty  yards  of  them.  The  majority  of  tliem  had  gone  to 
feeding.  Several  of  the  lambs- -gay,  sprightly  little  creat- 
ures— were  skipping  and  gamboling  merrily  about,  just  as 
you  have  seen  domestic  lambs  play  in  a  jjasture-lield. 

Some  of  the  older  animals  were  engaged  in  the  more 
serious  occupation  of  love-making.  Two  lusty  old  rams 
became  involved  in  a  quarrel  over  a  demure-looking  ewe, 
whom  both  seemed  anxious  to  captivate.  As  one  of  them 
moved  toward  her,  the  other,  which  was  a  few  feet  in  the 
rear,  made  a  vicious  rush  at  him,  and  striking  him  on  the 
port  quarter,  sent  him  spinning  and  reeling  a  distance  of 
twenty  feet  or  more.  This  was  the  signal  for  open  hostili- 
ties. The  jealous  rivals  squared  away,  faced  each  other, 
and  prepared  for  war.  For  a  moment  they  stood  sullenly 
eying  each  other,  their  manes  erect  and  their  eyes  flashing 
Are.  Then,  as  if  at  a  given  signal,  they  lowered  their 
heads  and  charged  each  other  with  all  the  force  and  fury 
of  mailed  knights  in  the  lists.  Their  massive  horns  came 
together  with  a  shock  that  seemed  sufficient  to  grind  them 
to  splinters,  and  to  dislocate  the  necks  of  the  angry  beasts; 
but  they  simi)ly  reeled,  staggered,  shook  their  heads,  and 
then  slowly  backed  off,  until  thirty  or  forty  feet  apart,  for 
another  encounter.  Both  now  seemed  more  savage  and 
desperate  than  before.  They  snorted,  groaned,  and  pawed 
the  ground  in  their  rage.  By  this  time  most  of  the  herd 
had  gathered  about  to  watch  the  battle.  They  formed 
almost  a  perfect  ring  around  the  contestants,  and  seemed  as 
deeply  interested  in  the  flght  as  are  the  toughs  who  gather 
to  watch  a  human  slugging-match. 

Again  the  burly  foes  went  at  each  other  with  the  speed 
of  race-horses,  and  met  with  the  same  terrific  shock  as 
l)efore.  The  sound  of  their  clashing  horns  could  have  been 
heard  a  mile.  The  animals  were  evenly  matched  in  size, 
and  the  contest  was  bitterly  waged.  Each  round  consisted 
of  a  single  assault,  and  as  the  belligerents  became  heated 
and  l)lown,  the  waits  between  the  acts  were  prolonged .  each 
requiring  time  to  recuperate  for  the  next  onset.    Both  were 


TMi:    IKM  KY    :M()rXTAIX    SHEEP.  883 

now  bleeding  i)rofusely  ut  nose  and  ears,  and  apparently 
suffering  great  pain.  Yet  the  terrible  blows  were  given  and 
received  with  as  great  spirit  and  as  unwavering  (courage  as 
at  first.  Finally,  after  a  dozen  or  more  rounds  had  been 
fought,  both  rams  began  to  stagger  and  totter  on  their  feet. 
Still,  there  was  no  indication  as  to  which  would  be  the 
victor. 

At  this  stage  of  the  game,  a  restless  partisan  of  one  of 
the  contestants  made  a  rush  at  the  other,  and  striking  him 
squarely  on  the  shoulder,  knocked  him  down.  No  sooner 
had  he  dealt  the  blow,  than  he  in  turn  received  a  counter- 
charge, from  a  champion  of  his  victim,  that  sent  him  to 
grass.  These  two  then  squared  for  each  other,  and  the 
fight  at  once  became  four-cornered.  Shock  after  shock 
resounded  over  the  hills,  and  the  sound  of  the  blows  was 
like  that  made  by  powerful  men  breaking  rocks  with  great 
sledge-hammers. 

Finally,  the  original  pair  drew  off,  neither  having 
strength  nor  inclination  to  pursue  the  other;  each  stagger- 
ing and  reeling  as  if  each  step  must  be  his  last.  The  fresh 
combatants  hammered  away  at  each  other  until  they  in 
turn  began  to  falter.  But  these  were  not  so  well  paired  as 
the  others,  the  one  that  first  entered  the  lists  for  his  friend 
not  being  the  equal  of  his  antagonist  in  strength  or  staying 
qualities.  At  every  onset  he  was  driven  back,  and  more 
than  once  was  forced  to  his  knees  by  the  superior  weight 
and  strength  of  his  adversar3\  At  last  he  was  thrown 
backward  with  such  force  that  he  fell  prostrate  on  his  side. 
His  antagonist  followed  up  the  advantage  thus  gained,  and 
when  the  unfortunate  creature  attempted  to  rise,  struck 
him  a  fearful  blow  that  laid  liim  out,  to  all  appearances 
stone-dead.  The  victor  then  walked  away  with  his  head 
up,  and  thus  the  battle  was  ended.  The  vanquished  ram 
soon  recovered,  partially,  and  slowly  regaining  his  feet, 
staggered  away  and  left  the  herd. 

Talk  about  your  ancient  Ixittering-rams,  your  modern 
Columbiads,  and  your  Zalinski  dynamite-gnns !  Give  me 
half  a  dozen  of   these  wild  battering-rams,  lariated   and 


384  HIU   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMEHICA. 

trained  to  the  work,  and  I'll  take  a  contract  to  knock  down 
tlie  walls  of  Jericho  in  seven  minutes,  by  the  watch. 

I  had  followed  up  this  band  with  the  intention  of  kill- 
ing one  or  more  of  them;  but  these  old  rams,  by  their  great 
courage,  fortitude,  and  consequent  suffering,  had  won 
imnumity  from  my  riHe,  and  I  allowed  them  to  go  tlieir 
way  in  peace.  Tliere  were  no  others  in  the  herd  tliat  I 
cared  for,  so  I  went  in  quest  of  another  band. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  went  to  a  large  park  that  lay  about  a 
mile  to  the  southeast.  Crawling  to  the  top  of  a  ridge, 
whence  1  could  command  a  good  view  of  the  entire  x>i"iiiie, 
and  i)eering  over,  I  saw  a  buncli  of  six  Sheep  lying  down, 
very  near  where  I  had  killed  the  ewe  the  day  before.  There 
were  two  rams  in  the  lot  — one  two-year-old,  and  one  large 
one  with  a  line  pair  of  horns.  I  decided  to  shoot  at  the 
two-3'ear-old  first,  and  take  the  chances  on  the  old  ram 
afterward. 

I  supposed  that  after  the  first  shot  they  would  Jump  up 
and  stand  for  a  moment,  as  they  usually  do,  trying  to 
determine  whence  the  report  came,  before  running.  In 
order  to  get  within  easy  range,  I  had  crawled  to  the  same 
big  fir-tree  from  which  I  had  shot  the  day  before,  and  draw- 
ing a  coarse  bead  on  the  shoulder  of  the  young  ram,  fired. 
They  all  sprung  to  their  feet,  and  started  at  once  for  the 
precipice  beyond,  Avliich  seemed  to  be  their  place  of  refuge 
at  all  times  when  alai-med. 

The  two-year-old  fell  dead  after  making  two  or  three 
bounds,  l)ut  the  remaining  five  were  going  like  the  wind. 
I  took  a  running-shot  at  the  old  })atriarcli  just  as  they 
reached  the  jumping-off  place,  and  as  he  disappeared  I  saw 
a  hind  leg  swinging  from  side  to  side,  like  the  pendulum  of 
a  clock,  but  ratliei*  faster.  I  followed  them  down  the  steej) 
mountain-side  a  short  distance,  and  looking  carefully  ahead 
of  me  through  the  l)riisli  and  rocks,  I  saw  the  big,  dark 
eyes  t)f  the  wounded  ram  glaring  {it  me  over  a  ledge  of 
rocks,  not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  below.  He  had 
ai>parently  stoi)iH'(l  and  turned  to  see  what  it  was  that  had 


Til?:   KOCKY    MOUNTAIN   SHEEP.  885 

Struck  him.  His  great,  heavy,  rolling  horns  loomed  up 
over  the  ledge  as  if  tliey  had  been  carved  there  from  the 
native  granite. 

But  I  had  no  time  to  admire  the  picture.  Quick  as  a 
Hash,  the  heel-plate  of  the  rifle  was  at  my  shoulder;  I  saw 
a  momentary  glinimer  of  a  speck  of  gold  between  his  eyes, 
and  instinctively  my  finger  press(*tl  the  trigger.  But  as  I 
did  so,  I  saw  his  head  suddenly  swing  to  the  right,  and  I 
knew  I  had  missed  him.  He  had  seen  enough  of  me,  and 
had  sprung  away  in  flight.  But,  quick  as  a  flash  of  light- 
ning, the  lever  has  swung  down  and  back  to  place!  Click — 
ock — clickl  The  bright  speck  again  gleamed  on  a  fleeting 
X)atch  of  gray  hair — and  bang !  The  mountain  breeze 
(piickly  drove  the  smoke  aside,  but  this  did  not  enable  me 
to  see  the  game.  It  was  gone — hidden  in  the  labyrinth  of 
junipers,  jack-pines,  firs,  and  rocks.  I  sx)rang  out  on  an 
overhanging  ledge,  and  strained  my  eyes,  peering  into  the 
jungle.  I  could  not  yet  see  him,  but  could  hear  him.  Now 
he  is  down,  and  seems  to  be  in  the  death-throes.  Hear  the 
small  rocks  rattle  away  down  the  mountain-side — a  perfect 
shower  of  them  I  He  has  dislodged  them  in  his  struggles. 
But  hark!  he  is  uj)  again,  and  is  making  off.  His  progress 
is  slow  and  difficult,  and  I  can  hear  him  fall  every  minute 
or  two.  But  he  is  getting  away,  diagonally  down  and  along 
the  mountain-side.  Look  I  there  is  an  open  space,  away 
ahead,  in  the  direction  he  is  going.  If  he  ijasses  through 
it,  I  may  get  another  shot.  Sure  enough,  there  he  is  in  the 
edge  of  it,  and  nearly  five  hundred  feet  beloAv  mel  He  has 
stopped;  he  reels,  staggers,  and  seems  ready  to  lie  down; 
but  I  will  not  risk  it.  I  will  give  him  another  shot.  Flash  I 
bang!  Now  will  you  stop;!  Yes;  he  is  down.  But  see! 
there  he  goes  again  !  He  is  dead  this  time,  though,  and  is 
rolling,  tumbling,  heels  over  head,  end  over  end,  down  the 
almost  perpendicular  mountain-side.  Where  on  earth  will 
he  stop  '.  Now  he  is  out  of  sight  again  in  the  thicket. 
Crash  !  thump  !  rattle-te-bang  !  he  still  goes.  Now  at  last 
the  noise  has  ceased;  but  has  he  stopped,  or  is  he  so  far 
aAVay  that  I  can't  hear  it  \     Shall  I  go  down  and  see  \    And 

25 


386  BIG   GAMK   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

if  I  do,  can  I  ever  get  back  up  here?  Well,  ITI  chance 
that. 

It  required  no  effort  to  go  down,  but  it  did  require  all 
my  strength  to  keep  from  going  so  fast  as  to  break  my  neck 
and  all  the  rest  of  my  bones.  I  had  to  hang  on  to  every 
bush,  tree,  and  projecting  rock  that  I  could  get  hold  of,  and 
let  myself  down  with  one  until  I  could  reach  another. 
Finally,  after  descending  about  six  hundred  feet,  I  found 
the  object  of  my  pursuit  hanging  to  a  small  fir-tree.  One 
of  his  horns  had  fortunately  caught  the  tree,  completely 
encircled  it  near  the  ground,  and  held  him  securely.  It 
required  all  my  strength  to  release  him  and  get  him  in 
position  for  dressing.  If  he  had  not  caught  on  this  or  some 
other  friendly  tree,  he  would  doubtless  have  gone  into  Ash- 
anola  Creek,  fully  two  thousand  feet  below,  before  stop- 
ping. The  ball  I  fired  at  him  when  looking  at  me  had  cut 
the  tip  of  one  horn  as  he  swung  his  head;  the  next  had 
passed  through  his  Hanks,  and  the  third  through  both 
shoulders. 

And  now  arose  another  serious  question — Could  I  get 
the  game,  or  any  portion  of  it,  to  camp  ?  It  would  seem  to 
require  all  the  skill  and  all  the  power  of  the  most  expert 
Alpine-climber  to  scale  that  mountain-side  without  any 
incumbrance.  But  I  said  to  myself  that  I  would  take  the 
head  of  the  Sheep  to  camp  or  stay  with  it  till  the  Indian 
should  come  to  hunt  me.  So  I  cut  it  off,  skinning  the  neck 
back  to  the  shoulders,  and  started  with  it.  Then  I  bethought 
me  that  there  was  too  much  meat  there  to  be  wasted; 
so  I  turned  back  and  dressed  the  carcass,  that  we  might 
come  after  it  next  day,  if  I  succeeded  in  getting  to 
camp  with  the  head.  I  now  tied  a  piece  of  quarter-inch 
rope  to  the  horns,  forming  a  large  loop  of  it,  and  ])utting  it 
over  my  shoulders,  so  as  to  swing  the  head  well  up  on  my 
back,  began  the  terrible  ascent.  I  used  my  heavy  ritle  as 
an  Alpine-stock,  and  with  the  othei*  hand  caught  every 
bush,  tree,  and  rock  that  could  afford  me  any  help,  pull- 
ing myself  up  foot  by  foot  and  inch  by  inch.  Once  I 
caught  hold  of  a  currant-bush  that  grew  in  shallow  soil  on 


CAMPWARD   BOUND 


THE  KOCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP.  387 

top  of  a  bed  of  rock,  and  was  raising  myself  by  it,  when 
its  roots  let  go  their  slight  hold,  and  I  fell  backward.  I 
should  have  gone,  no  one  knows  how  far,  down  the  fearful 
declivity,  even  as  my  victim  had  lately  gone,  had  I  not 
fortunately  caught  a  strong  juniper-shrub  that  stood  near. 
This  friendly  shrub  was  the  means  of  my  living  to  tell  this 
story. 

I  was  compelled  to  stop  every  few  minutes  to  rest.  I 
would  throw  myself  prostrate  on  any  shelving  rock  or 
friendly  bit  of  level  earth  that  was  large  enough  to  hold 
me,  and  lie  there  like  a  dead  man  until  I  could  recover 
sufficient  breath  and  strength  to  resume  my  way.  I  fre- 
quently had  to  jump  from  point  to  point  of  projecting 
rocks,  across  open  chasms  which  I  could  cross  in  no  other 
way,  and  which  there  was  no  means  of  going  around. 

Finally,  after  an  almost  superhuman  struggle  of  more 
than  two  hours,  I  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  fell 
on  the  soft  grass  in  the  park,  more  dead  than  alive.  My 
clothing  was  wet  with  perspiration,  though  the  temperature 
was  far  below  the  freezing-point.  I  lay  there  until  I  began 
to  feel  the  pangs  of  cold  and  hunger;  then  I  went  and  got 
the  good,  faithful  old  horse,  Blue,  who  was  picketed  in  the 
woods  a  few  hundred  yards  away,  lashed  the  Sheep-head  on 
my  riding-saddle,  and  led  him  to  the  camp.  It  was  dark 
when  I  reached  there,  and  Charley  had  a  good,  hot  dinner 
of  mountain  mutton-chops,  boiled  potatoes,  baked  beans, 
and  hot  bread  awaiting  me.  Did  •!  eat  ?  Well,  you  would 
not  believe  it  if  I  told  you  how  much  I  ate,  and  if  you  want 
to  know,  the  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  go  out  there  and 
try  it  for  yourself. 

I  could  find  no  better  hunting-ground  than  the  same 
park,  and  went  back  to  it  early  the  next  morning.  Sure 
enough,  there  was  another  small  band  of  Sheep.  I  x^icked 
out  a  large,  fat  ewe  this  time,  and  killed  her.  Then  for  a 
running-shot  I  selected  a  lamb.  I  broke  his  hind  leg,  also, 
and  he  started  down  the  hill,  just  as  the  ram  had  done  the 
day  before.  I  followed,  and  found  him  lying  down  just 
below  the  edge  of  the  prairie.     Another  ball  through  the 


388  BIG  gamp:  of  nokth  America. 

heart  finished  him,  and  it  was  but  a  few  minutes'  work  to 
carry  him  back  to  the  level  ground.  Then  I  took  a  seam- 
less grain-bag  that  I  had  brouglit  for  the  purpose,  went 
down  -and  cut  off  all  the  best  meat  from  the  ram,  and 
brouglit  it  up.  The  task  was  equally  as  severe  as  that  of 
bringing  up  the  head;  but  I  never  waste  meat  when  it  is 
possible  to  save  it. 

I  brought  old  Blue  to  the  front  again,  and  with  great 
difficulty  succeeded  in  loading  the  ewe  onto  him  and  cinch- 
ing it  down.  Then  I  i)ut  the  bag  of  meat  and  the  lamb  on; 
and  just  as  I  had  finished  packing  and  cinching  the  load, 
I  heard  a  snort,  and  looking  in  the  direction  whence  it 
came,  I  saw  a  large  ram  standing  looking  at  me,  not  more 
than  fifty  yards  away.  I  had  not  expected  to  need  my  rifle 
on  my  way  to  camp,  and  had  packed  it  in  with  the  load,  I 
seized  it  by  the  stock,  and  after  tugging  frantically  at  it  for 
a  minute  or  two,  brought  it  out;  but  friy  visitor  had  con- 
cluded that  he  had  seen  all  he  cared  to  see  of  the  outfit,  and 
had  taken  a  header  down  the  mountain-side.  We  had  now 
all  the  meat,  heads,  and  skins  our  horses  could  carrj\  and 
returning  to  camp,  made  preparations  to  start  home  the 
next  morning. 

Anyone  who  may  wish  to  visit  the  Ashanola  country  will 
find  the  route  T  took  perhaps  the  easiest,  shortest,  and 
most  pleasant — /.  e.,  by  way  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
road to  S^wkane  Falls,  Washington;  thence  by  team  to 
Looniis*  ranch,  and  from  there  by  saddle  and  pack  animals. 
It  is  about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  from  Si:)o- 
kane  to  the  hunting-grounds;  but  the  trail  leads  through 
an  interesting  and  beautiful  country  all  the  way,  and,  when 
once  reached,  the  mountains  along  Ashanola  Creek  are,  as 
I  have  already  said,  unquestionably  the  finest  Sheep-range 
reniainiug  on  the  continent.  Deer  are  also  there  in  count- 
less numbers.  We  never  saw  less  than  twenty-five  or 
thirty  in  a  day.  and  one  day  we  counted  seventy-two.  AVe 
were  not  hunting  them.  If  we  had  been,  we  could,  of 
course,  have  found  a  great  many  more.  But  I  hope  that  no 
man  will  ever  be  so  unmanly  as  to  go  there  and  slaughter 


THE  ROOKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP. 


389 


game  for  the  mere  sake  of  sport,  and  then  allow  it  to  be 
wasted.     Never  kill  more  than  you  can  take  care  of. 

The  Sheep  are  not  nearly  so  plentiful  there  now  as  they 
were  live  years  ago,  and  probably  five  years  hence  it  will 
be  difficult  to  find  half  a  dozen  in  a  week' s  hunting.  ' '  Pass- 
ing away ' '  is  written  over  the  gate- way  to  this  hunter' s 
paradise,  as  it  is  over  that  leading  to  all  hunting-grounds 
on  this  continent;  and  let  no  man  hasten  tlie  time  of  the 
extinction  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Sheep  more  than  is  com 
mensurate  with  his  needs  in  the  way  of  reasonable  sport 
and  of  trophies  for  preservation. 


THE   PECCARY. 


By  a.  G.  Requa. 


HE  Peccary,  or  South  American  Musk-hog,  is  found 

in  kirge  herds  in  Old  Mexico,  and  sometimes  as  far 

J|  ^y    north  as  Arizona  and  Southern  Texas,     The  hirgest 

^'      herds,  however,  are  to  be  found  in  the  interior  of 

Okl  Mexico. 

In  appearance,  this  animal  resembles  the  common  hog, 
but  differs  from  it  in  many  ways.  The  flesh  of  the  Peccary 
is  good  to  eat;  but  it  is  necessary  to  remove  the  dorsal  pipe, 
or  gland,  immediately  after  killing,  otherwise  the  meat 
will  taste  of  the  seci-etion  which  is  found  on  its  back,  near 
the  loin.  The  gland  is  about  the  size  of  a  small  orange, 
and  contains  an  odorous  matter  smelling  like  musk;  hence 
the  name,  Musk-hog.  When  they  become  angry,  the  odor 
emitted  is  very  strong. 

There  are  two  species  of  Peccary  found  in  North  Amer- 
ica. The  common,  or  Collared  Peccary,  is  about  the  size  of 
a  small  hog;  the  bristles  on  the  neck  are  longer,  forming  a 
mane,  while  a  narrow,  white  collar  surrounds  the  neck. 
The  White-lipped  Peccary  is  considerably  larger,  and  of 
a  darker  color,  with  conspicuously  wdiite  lips.  The  ears, 
which  are  short,  and  stand  erect,  are  almost  covered  with 
the  mane.  The  tail  is  not  readily  visible,  but  may  be  found 
on  close  inspection.  It  is  flat,  and  only  about  two  inches 
long.  The  male  and  female  resemble  each  other  closely. 
Once  a  year  tlie  female  brings  forth  one  or  two  young,  of  a 
uniform  reddish  tint. 

The  AVliite-lipped  Peccary  is  found  in  large  herds,  usu- 
ally led  by  a  male.  When  one  of  the  herd  is  alarmed,  he 
makes  a  signal  by  stamping  with  his  feet,  which  is  at  once 
repeated  by  all  the  rest.     They  are  then  on  their  guard.    K 

(  391  ) 


392  BIO    (JAMK    OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

one  of  their  number  is  wounded  so  tliiit  it  squeals,  the 
whole  herd  becomes  ferocious,  will  charge  their  enemy 
on  sight,  and  speedily  destroy  him,  unless  he  escapes  by 
climbing  ;i  tree  or  by  tiight.  It  has  been  stated  by  old 
hunters  that  if  the  leader  of  the  band  is  killed,  the  rest  will 
take  to  flight,  while  they  will  not  do  so  though  many  of  the 
common  herd  be  killed  This  is  contrary  to  all  the  ex^^eri- 
ence  I  have  ever  had  with  them.  They  feed  almost  indis- 
criminately on  animal  or  vegetable  substances,  but  it  may 
be  considered  that  roots  and  grains  form  their  principal 
nutriment. 

Both  varieties  are  gregarious,  herds  of  from  two  to 
three  hundred  being  sometimes  found  in  the  far  Southwest. 
Where  only  a  few  are  found  together,  the  Mexican  ranch- 
men sometimes  hunt  them  with  dogs,  but  never  when  a 
large  herd  is  known  to  be  in  the  country;  for  no  ordinary 
pjK'k  of  dogs  could  live  long  in  a  contest  with  one  of  these 
armies  of  savage,  fearless  brutes.  The  Wild  Boar,  the 
European  congener  of  the  Peccary,  furnishes  exciting  sport 
when  i)ursued  l)y  hounds;  but  a  single  one  of  these  animals 
will  often  kill  several  valuable  dogs  before  himself  yielding 
to  the  combined  attacks  of  the  pack;  and  though  the  Pec- 
cary is  not  nearly  so  laige  or  so  powerful,  and  though  not 
armed  with  the  great  tusks  of  the  Boar,  yet  he  is  equally 
ferocious,  and  when  congregated  in  such  gi'eat  numbers, 
they  wage  a  most  ])itter  and  bloody  war  on  anj^  foe  by 
whom  they  may  be  attacked. 

Hunting  the  Peccary  in  Old  Mexico  is  certainly  excit- 
ing enough  for  the  average  hunter.  In  the  fall  of  1880.  I 
left  Ilermosilla,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Sonora,  with  a 
Mexican  guide,  to  prosj^ect  in  the  Sierra  Madre  Mountains. 
Wh  had  two  pack-animals,  two  saddle  horses,  and  enough 
provisions  to  last  forty  days,  except  meat.  Our  route  lay 
directly  across  the  mountains.  We  were  well  armed,  my 
guide  carrying  a  Loug  Tom.  or  Xeedle-gun,  and  a  i)air  of 
Colt's  revolvers,  while  I  had  a  pair  of  44  Colt's  aud  a  3'2  -40 
Marlin  r(-i)eater  (whicli  ritle.  by  the  way,  is  my  favorite  for 
small  game). 


AT  BAY. 


TIIP]   PECCARY.  393 

Tlie  lirst  night  out  I  was  lucky  enough  to  kill  a  large 
Mule  Deer,  but  it  proved  to  be  poor.  The  next  day  we 
only  traveled  about  twenty-seven  miles,  and  camped  at  a 
small  spring,  w^ell  up  in  the  mountains.  We  saw  numbers 
of  doves,  and  after  we  got  our  horses  staked  out  I  shot  the 
heads  off  several  of  them,  and  we  had  a  Spanish  stew, 
which  was  very  fine.  Near  the  spring,  we  noticed  well- 
beaten  trails  made  by  the  Peccaries  coming  there  for  water. 
My  guide  insisted  on  going  up  the  mountain  to  capture  one 
of  them,  but  I  would  not  listen  to  it,  knowing  the  danger 
there  is  in  attacking  a  drove  of  them  on  their  way  to  water. 

Early  the  next  morning,  we  i)acked,  and  started  just  as 
the  sun  was  showing  over  the  mountains.  We  had  trav- 
eled about  five  miles,  when  my  guide  pointed  to  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  canon  we  were  traveling  in,  and  about 
three  hundred  yards  distant  I  saw  a  large  herd  of  Peccaries 
feeding.  We  stojpped,  and  ni}'  guide  being  anxious  to  have 
a  shot,  took  the  Long  Tom,  and  after  raising  the  sights  to 
the  proper  distance,  took  deliberate  aim,  resting  his  gun  on 
a  rock,  and  fired  directly  into  the  center  of  tlie  bunch.  At 
the  report  of  the  gun  they  threw  up  their  heads,  and  seemed 
to  wonder  where  the  noise  came  from.  The  ball  struck  too 
high.  The  next  shot  was  l)etter,  striking  near  the  center 
of  the  herd;  but  they  only  gathered  closer  together  and 
snufi'ed  the  air.  The  third  shot  struck  a  rock,  and  the  ball 
^^  hizzing  through  the  air  seemed  to  frighten  them,  for  they 
started  down  the  canon  and  were  soon  out  of  sight.  We 
then  remounted  and  resumed  our  journey. 

There  was  water  where  we  stojjped  at  noon,  so  we  stayed 
late;  and  after  filling  our  canteens  and  giving  our  animals 
another  drink,  we  traveled  until  ten  o'clock  at  night,  and 
then  made  a  dry  camp.  Next  morning  we  were  ofl'  before 
daylight,  so  we  could  reach  water  before  our  animals  got 
too  thirsty.  We  reached  the  Yaqui  River,  which  flows 
south  and  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  California.  Here  we 
camped  near  a  settlement  of  the  Yaqui  Indians  where  we 
got  some  fresh  goat's  milk  and  some  fine  cactus- fruit,  of 
which  there  are  several  kinds  growing  on  this  river. 


394  BIG   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

The  Yaqui  Indians  speak  the  Spanish  language  poorly, 
and  are  but  half-civilized.  They  cultivate  small  fields,  and 
plow  with  a  forked  stick.  Sometimes  the  women  pull  the 
stick  intended  for  a  plow,  and  sometimes  a  burro  or  small 
jack  furnishes  the  motive  power.  We  learned  from 
the  natives  that  there  was  a  small  insurrection  going  on, 
down  the  river,  between  some  of  tlie  Mexicans  and  Yaqui 
Indians.  I  afterward  learned  that  such  things  occurred 
every  time  they  had  a  good  crop  of  beans.  So,  deciding 
not  to  go  into  the  mountains  until  things  got  more  settled, 
we  moved  up  the  river  ten  miles,  near  an  Indian  settlement, 
and  prex^ared  to  stay  a  week  or  two.  The  first  two  days 
were  spent  fishing  and  picking  fruit,  which  grows  in  great 
abundance  on  the  many  kinds  of  cactus  which  are  to  be 
found  in  the  vicinity  of  this  river. 

The  mammoth  cactus  grows  here  in  great  abundance,  and 
the  novel  way  hunters  have  of  picking  this  fruit  would  sur- 
prise many  of  our  Eastern  friends.  This  cactus  grows  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  high,  being  about  three  to  four 
feet  in  diameter,  and  having  one  or  two  limbs,  which  are 
the  same  size  of  the  body.  The  top  is  as  large  as  any  part 
of  the  body,  and  right  on  the  toj)  is  where  the  fruit  grows. 
In  some  instances,  fifty  or  more  blossoms  come  out.  When 
the  fruit  is  rij)e  it  looks  and  tastes  much  like  a  black  mul- 
berry. Each  berry  is  protected  by  a  kind  of  husk  which 
stands  up  around  it.  The  fruit  is  about  three  inches  long 
and  one  inch  in  diameter.  The  only  way  to  get  this  fruit  is 
witli  the  rifie,  unless  you  cut  the  whole  tree  down;  but  with 
the  ritle  it  can  be  had  easily.  The  top  of  the  tree,  under 
the  fruit,  is  soft  and  spongy.  Tlie  trees  usually  grow  on 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  which  is  quite  steep.  By  climb- 
ing up  the  mountain,  opposite  the  top  of  the  tree,  you  can  get 
within  fifty  feet  of  the  fruit,  and  directly  oi)posite  it;  then, 
by  filing  eight  or  ten  shots  from  your  rifle,  you  may  cut  the 
whole  top  off,  and  down  comes  the  most  delicious  fruit  that 
man  ever  ate.     We  called  it  picking  fruit  with  the  Marlin. 

Tlie  second  day  we  were  at  this  camp,  a  native  came  to  us 
and  trifvl  hard  to  buv  mv  rifie.     lie  told  us  the  Peccaries 


THE   PECCARY.  395 

hiid  destroyed  all  his  crop,  and  lie  wanted  to  join  tlie  insur- 
rection; he  said  that  was  the  only  way  he  could  get  any- 
thing to  eat,  since  his  crop  had  been  destroyed.  I  induced 
him,  by  offering  him  a  small  sum  of  money  and  all  the  Pec- 
caries he  could  use,  to  show  us  where  to  find  them.  Next 
morning  he  was  at  our  camp,  mounted  on  a  burro,  and  we 
were  soon  off.  Going  up  the  river  three  miles,  then  turn- 
ing toward  the  mountains  and  following  up  a  canon,  we 
came  to  his  casa  and  a  small  field  which  he  had  irrigated 
from  a  spring  farther  up  the  canon.  He  said  he  was  always 
bothered  with  the  Peccaries,  but  had  managed  to  raise  a 
croj)  until  this  time,  when  they  became  so  bold  as  to  come 
to  the  field  in  broad  daylight. 

We  followed  up  this  canon,  finding  lots  of  trails,  showing 
that  there  were  large  bodies  of  the  Peccaries  together.  We 
traveled  directly  up  the  main  canon  about  four  miles,  then 
followed  a  well-beaten  trail  which  turned  up  a  small  side 
canon.  After  following  this  trail  two  miles,  it  seemed  as  if 
they  had  scattered,  and  everything  indicated  that  we  had 
reached  their  feeding-grounds.  The  ground  was  rooted  np 
in  every  direction.  We  had  been  steadily  climbing  since  we 
left  the  river,  and  must  now  have  been  three  thousand  feet 
above  its  bed.  The  country  was  more  level,  and  was  covered 
with  underbrush,  cactus,  and  a  few  trees.  We  were  on  the 
second  bench  of  the  table-lands,  which  is  usually  the  home 
of  the  Peccary. 

As  we  rode  out  from  the  canon  on  this  almost  level  land, 
we  could  see  for  miles  away,  but  were  unable  to  see  any 
of  our  game,  the  brush  being  about  five  feet  high  on  an 
average.  The  Yaqui  had  said  but  little  since  we  started  up 
the  last  canon,  and  as  we  got  on  top  of  this  bench  he 
stopped  and  refused  to  go  any  farther,  saying  the  Peccaries 
were  there — meaning  in  the  brush — and  that  he  would  go 
back  in  the  canon,  get  in  a  tree,  and  wait  for  us  to  come 
back.  I  knew  what  the  matter  was;  he  was  getting  scared. 
He  then  told  us  there  had  been  two  Yaquis  eaten  by  the 
Peccaries,  near  there,  a  year  ago,  and  that  the  way  to  get 
them  Avas  to  wait  until  they  came  down  for  water,  and  then 


396  ni<}   GAME   OF    NOUTII    AMERICA. 

kill  them  from  the  sides  of  the  canon.  I  began  to  think 
that  way  myself,  but  my  guide  was  wild  to  get  a  shot  at 
theju,  so  we  left  our  Indian  and  pressed  on  through  the 
brush;  but  our  progress  was  -slow,  as  the  Innisli  became 
thicker.  I  was  in  the  lead,  when  all  at  once  my  horse 
stopped  and  began  to  snort;  then  for  the  first  time  I  real- 
ized the  dangerous  ground  we  were  on,  for  the  best  time  we 
could  make  through  the  brush  was  a  walk.  My  horse  kejjt 
snorting,  and  at  last  I  saw,  not  more  than  ten  feet  from  me, 
a  dead  Peccary,  partially  eaten.  We  rode  up  a  little  closer, 
and  discovered  that  it  had  just  been  killed.  Getting  off  my 
horse,  I  observed  tracks  made  by  the  Silver  Lion,  or  Cougar. 

I  then  knew  we  were  on  dangerous  ground,  as  the  Lion 
could  not  be  far  off.  I  got  on  my  horse,  and  took  my  rifle  in 
my  hand,  just  as  I  heard  a  fierce  growl  come  from  the  brush 
directly  in  front  of  us.  My  horse  was  behaving  badly,  and 
I  could  not  get  sight  of  the  Lion.  I  told  my  guide  to  ride 
up  by  my  side  and  take  his  revolver  in  his  hand,  j^utting 
his  Long  Tom  in  the  case.  I  did  the  same;  then  we  both 
rode  straight  toward  where  the  noise  came  from.  We  got  a 
glimpse  of  the  Lion  as  he  ran  through  the  brush,  and  both 
fired  at  him.  We  could  hear  him  traveling  through  the 
brush,  and  pretty  soon  saw  him  spring  up  on  a  rock  about 
two  hundred  yards  away,  and  face  around  to  get  a  good 
look  at  us.  This  was  my  chance,  and  taking  my  Marlin 
out  of  the  case,  I  raised  the  sights,  slid  off  my  horse,  and 
fired.  My  guide  said  I  had  not  touched  him,  but  I  was 
certain  I  had;  and  getting  on  my  horse,  we  rode  up  to  the 
rock,  and  there  lay  our  Lion,  shot  througii  the  small  of  the 
back.  It  proved  to  ])e  a  small  female.  AVe  took  the  skin, 
and  concluded  to  take  the  Indian's  advice;  so  we  went  back 
and  found  him  in  a  scru))-pine.  and  the  jack  feeding  near 
him.  II(^  had  heard  the  shooting  and  got  scared,  thinking 
the  Peccaries  would  be  after  us.  lie  seemed  to  be  very 
miu'h  afraid,  so  we  started  down  the  canon  to  find  water, 
where  we  stopped  and  ate  some  lunch. 

After  letting  our  horses  graze  for  an  hour,  we  had  just 
started,  when  our  Indian  pointed  to  the  mountain  and  then 


THE   PECCARY.  397 

Started  down  the  canon.  Taking  my  field-glass,  I  could  see 
something  coming  down  the  trail.  I  told  my  guide  to  get 
on  his  horse,  but  he  would  not.  Pretty  soon  a\  e  could  hear 
the  noise  of  their  hoofs  as  they  came  down  the  mo  until  in. 
I  saw  there  was  only  a  small  bunch  of  them,  so  I  tied  my 
horse  and  got  down  behind  a  large  rock  near  the  trail. 
Just  then  my  guide  fired  and  killed  one.  Then  he  fired 
again,  and  down  went  another.  Then  I  fired,  but  only 
wounded  one,  and  it  began  to  squeal,  when  the  rest  of  them 
caught  sight  of  my  guide  and  went  after  him.  Just  then 
the  Long  Tom  spoke  again,  and  another  one  rolled  over. 
Now  there  were  but  three  left,  and  they  were  not  more  than 
twenty  feet  from  me.  I  got  two  of  them  with  my  Marlin. 
My  guide  had  thrown  down  the  Long  Tom  and  drawn  his 
Colt's  revolver,  when  the  only  one  left  charged  right  at 
him,  and  he  killed  it  not  more  than  two  feet  from  the 
muzzle  of  his  revolver;  making  seven  we  had  killed  in  that 
many  seconds. 

We  cut  the  musk  or  gland  from  two  of  the  smallest,  tied 
them  behind  our  saddles,  and  started  down  the  canon,  well 
pleased  with  our  day's  hunt.  We  found  our  Indian  at 
home,  and  when  we  told  him  what  we  had  done  he  seemed 
surprised,  as  he  expected  us  both  to  be  eaten.  We  gave 
him  both  the  Peccaries,  except  the  hams  of  one,  and  told 
him  to  go  and  get  the  rest  that  night.  We  had  fried  Pec- 
cary, fried  fish,  and  fried  quail  for  supper. 

All  that  evening  my  guide  begged  me  to  go  again  next 
day.  When  I  told  him  there  was  lots  of  danger,  he  only 
laughed,  and  said  he  would  go  alone  if  I  would  not  go  with 
him.  Next  morning,  I  again  tried  to  ijersuade  him  out  of 
the  notion;  but  nothing  would  satisfy  him,  and  at  sunrise 
he  was  ofi'.    It  was  the  last  I  ever  saw  of  poor  Frank  Yanso. 

I  put  in  the  da}^  fishing,  and  that  night  I  watched  and 
waited  all  night  for  him,  but  no  Frank  came;  so,  early  the 
next  morning  I  was  in  the  saddle,  riding  up  the  river  on 
a  swinging  \o-pe.  It  did  not  take  me  long  t'o  get  to  the 
house  of  the  Indian  who  had  showed  us  the  hunting- 
ground  two  days  before,  and  sx)eaking  in  Spanish,  I  asked 


398  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

him  if  my  guide  luid  been  there.  He  said  he  had,  at  about 
tlie  same  time  the  morning  before,  and  tried  hard  to  get 
him  to  go  with  him,  which  he  did  as  far  as  the  mouth  of 
tlie  canon  wliere  we  had  killed  the  seven  Peccaries.  He  had 
got  two  on  his  burro,  and  came  back,  but  Frank  had  gone 
on  uj)  the  same  canon,  saying  he  was  going  to  kill  a  Lion 
himself. 

Tlie  Yaqui  said  he  told  him  not  to  go,  but  it  did  no  good. 
Then  I  knew  something  had  happened  him;  so  I  followed 
up  the  canon  until  I  came  to  where  the  small  canon  turned 
off.  I  followed  that,  and  came  out  where  we  had  been  two 
days  before.  I  rode  directly  to  the  rock  I  had  shot  the  Mount- 
ain Lion  from,  hitched  my  horse,  and  climbed  up  on  the 
rock.  After  looking  in  every  direction,  I  saw  a  higher  point 
nearly  a  mile  away.  I  went  to  that,  making  my  way 
through  the  underbrush  as  best  I  could,  and  had  got  near 
the  point  when  my  horse  suddenly  raised  his  head  and 
whinnied.  Looking  straight  ahead,  and  beyond  the  rocks, 
I  saw  Frank's  horse  tied  to  a  small  scrub-cedar.  Riding  to 
him,  I  looked  in  every  direction  for  Frank;  then  I  called, 
but  no  answer.  I  went  to  the  rocks,  and  going  on  the 
highest  one,  commenced  looking  Avith  my  field-glass.  At 
last  I  took  the  glass  down,  and  was  getting  down  from  the 
rocks  when  I  saw  the  "Long  Tom  lying  near,  on  the  ground. 
I  crawled  down,  and  saw  that  the  ground  was  all  torn  up 
around  there,  with  blood-marks  and  hundreds  of  ti'acks 
made  by  the  Peccaries;  and  looking  further,  I  found  small 
l)ieces  of  clothing,  and  one  of  Frank's  revolvers.  I  also 
noticed  tracks  of  the  Lion.  Then  I  went  back  on  the  rocks, 
examined  closely,  and  found  tracks  of  Peccaries  on  the 
rocks.  By  this  time  my  hair  was  standing  nearly  straight. 
I  got  down,  picked  up  the  revolver  and  rifle,  got  on  my 
horse,  untied  the  other  one,  and  started  back.  It  seemed 
lonesome  up  there,  and  I  got  back  to  the  Indian's  ranch  as 
soon  as  possible.  When  I  told  him  Avliat  I  had  seen,  he 
seemed  to  think  the  Peccaries  had  done  the  work;  but  I 
shall  always  believe  it  was  the  Lion.  My  opinion  is  that  he 
ha<l  hitched  his  horse  and  aone  on  the  rocks  to  look  for 


THE   PECCARY.  399 

game;  that  he  had  shot  at  and  j^robably  wounded  the  Lion, 
and  it  had  killed  him;  that  then  the  Peccaries  came  along 
and  ate  the  body.  I  think  that  if  the  Peccaries  had  killed 
him,  they  would  have  tackled  the  horse,  too,  for  they  get 
very  savage  when  they  are  excited. 

Next  day  I  learned  that  the  natives  expected  the  troops 
to  make  a  raid  down  the  river;  so  I  hired  a  native,  packed 
up,  and  left. 

The  next  spring  I  was  again  in  Hermosilla,  and  telling 
my  friends  of  my  troubles,  they  suggested  we  make  up  a 
party  and  try  to  get  even  with  the  festive  pigs.  They 
said  they  knew  where  to  find  a  large  herd,  within  one  day's 
travel;  so  it  was  decided  to  leave  early  the  next  morning. 
There  were  four  in  the  party,  all  armed  with  Marlin  repeat- 
ing-rifles  and  Colt's  revolvers.  Each  had  a  saddle-horse, 
and  we  had  two  pack-animals.  We  got  off  at  eight  o'clock, 
and  at  ten  that  night  we  camped  about  forty  miles  from  Her- 
mosilla, well  up  in  the  mountains,  on  the  bank  of  a  small 
stream  fed  by  a  spring  near  by. 

Next  morning  we  could  see  signs  of  our  game,  where 
they  had  come  for  water.  After  getting  something  to  eat, 
we  all  started,  leaving  our  horses.  We  kept  together,  fol- 
lowing one  of  the  many  trails  which  led  up  the  side  of  the 
mountain.  We  had  agreed  to  keep  together,  and  not  go  in 
the  open  country,  but  to  keep  near  the  trees,  as  that  is  the 
only  safe  way  where  there  are  large  herds.  We  had  gone 
about  a  mile  when  we  came  to  fresh  signs,  which  we  fol- 
lowed. The  wind  was  favorable,  so  we  had  no  fear  that 
they  M^ould  scent  us,  and  we  soon  came  in  sight  of  a  large 
herd.  They  were  feeding  near  the  top  of  a  small  divide, 
and  we  watched  them  until  the  last  one  had  passed  over; 
then,  hurrying  to  the  top,  we  could  see  them  not  more  than 
eighty  yards  distant. 

I  counted  three,  and  we  all  fired.  They  gathered  closer 
together,  near  one  that  had  been  killed,  when  we  gav^  them 
another  round,  this  time  with  better  effect,  as  we  saw  two 
drop;    then    the  firing  became  faster,  and  the  Peccaries 


400  BIO  GAME   OF   iXORTII   AMERICA. 

seemed  dazed.  They  stood  around  and  snuffed  the  air, 
while  we  emptied  our  rifles.  While  reloading,  they  seemed 
to  get  sight  of  us  for  the  first  time,  gave  a  snort,  and  down 
the  mountain  they  went.  We  fired  at  them  until  out  of 
sight,  and  on  counting  up,  found  we  had  killed  eleven  where 
they  stood  and  three  while  they  were  running. 

We  cut  the  hind  quarters  from  four  of  the  fattest,  hung 
them  in  some  trees,  and  followed  the  herd,  which  it  was 
easy  to  do.  The  ground  being  soft,  they  made  a  good  trail, 
and  after  following  them  about  a  mile  we  saw  them  again, 
feeding.  We  made  a  circuit  around  a  small  hill  and  got 
close  to  them,  but  they  broke  at  the  first  fire.  However, 
we  had  good  shots,  as  they  ran  close  together,  over  compar- 
atively open  ground,  and  dispatched  seven  before  they  got 
away.  This  was  sj^ort  enough  for  one  day,  so  we  started 
for  camp. 

That  night  we  discussed  the  best  plans  for  killing  the 
Peccaries,  and  concluded  that  we  would  try  to  get  close  to 
them  and  near  some  trees;  then  one  man  could  shoot  and 
cripple  one  of  them ;  then  let  them  smell  us,  and  they  would 
come  for  us.  We  would  then  climb  the  trees,  and  while 
they  would  try  to  gnaw  the  trees  down  we  could  kill  the 
whole  herd,  as  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  if  they  wind  you 
after  one  of  them  is  crijjpled,  they  will  charge  you.  Then, 
the  only  show  is  to  go  up  a  tree  or  outrun  them,  which  I 
found,  the  following  day,  to  be  hard  to  do.  We  had  deter- 
mined to  kill  the  whole  herd  if  possible,  though  I  now  see 
how  foolish  it  was,  as  we  had  no  use  for  them. 

Early  next  morning  we  Avere  off  uj)  the  mountain,  with 
a  hundred  shells  each,  determined  to  kill  all  there  were  in 
the  herd,  provided  we  could  get  them  to  charge  us.  As 
befoi'e,  we  agreed  to  keep  together  and  near  the  trees,  there 
being  plenty  of  scrub-cedars  growing  on  the  sides  of  the 
mountain.  We  went  in  the  same  direction  we  had  gone 
tlie  Ijrst  day,  and  going  to  where  we  killed  the  first  ones,  we 
found  one  had  l)een  eaten  and  another  carried  off.  We 
saw  by  the  tracks  that  this  had  been  done  by  a  Grizzly, 
and  .sonif  of  the  boys  wanted  to  follow  him;  so  we  took  a 


THE   PECCARY.  401 

vote  on  it.  Two  were  in  favor  of  the  proposition  and  two 
oi^posed.  At  last  they  left  it  to  me.  Peccaries  were  large 
enough  game  for  me;  so  on  we  went,  looking  for  fresh  signs, 
by  which  the  Peccaries  are  easily  found.  Taking  my  field- 
glass,  I  was  able  to  see  the  opposite  side  of  the  canon,  a 
mile  away,  and  could  see  something  moving.  There  were  a 
number  of  animate  objects,  but  we  could  not  decide  what 
they  were,  as  they  were  soon  out  of  sight.  It  was  decided 
that  I  should  go  down  the  canon  a  mile,  cross,  and  go  up 
the  other  side,  and  if  I  found  them  to  be  Peccaries,  I  was 
to  lire  my  revolver  three  times,  so  the  others  could  join  me; 
if  they  were  not  Peccaries,  we  were  to  go  up  the  caiion 
Tintil  we  found  the  game  we  were  after,  when  the  same 
signal  should  be  given  by  the  party  finding  them. 

I  was  not  long  in  reaching  the  ground  where  I  had  seen 
the  objects,  and  soon  found  that  what  I  saw  was  a  large 
drove  of  turkeys,  instead  of  Peccaries.  The  turkeys  in 
Mexico  are  smaller  than  our  common  wild  turkey  of  the 
North,  and  almost  coal-black.  I  was  anxious  to  get  one; 
so  I  followed  the  trail  ujj  the  mountain,  when  all  at  once 
up  flew  the  whole  flock.  They  had  heard  or  seen  me  fol- 
lowing them,  and  hid  until  I  got  right  among  them.  One 
of  them  lit  in  a  tree  near  by,  and  I  was  not  long  in  getting 
him  down.  The  rest  of  the  flock  flew  down  the  mountain; 
so  I  took  the  one  I  had  killed  and  started  down  after  them. 
Frequently  I  would  get  a  glimpse  of  one  running,  down 
below  me,  and  at  last  got  another  shot,  but  missed.  Then 
they  all  flew  clear  across  the  canon.  I  watched  tlibm  alight, 
then  sat  down  on  a  rock  to  rest,  taking  my  coat  off,  for  by 
this  time  I  was  quite  warm. 

I  had  not  sat  there  more  than  Ave  minutes  before  I 
heard  the  sharp  noise  of  the  Peccaries.  They  came  in  sight 
not  more  than  twenty  yards  below  me.  There  wei'e  not 
more  than  a  dozen  that  I  could  see,  and  there  were  plenty 
of  small  pines  near  by;  so  I  thought  I  would  just  kill  the 
whole  herd,  provided  they  showed  fight.  As  they  came 
into  the  open  ground,  they  seemed  to  wind  me,  as  they 
began  to  snuff  and  paAv.     I  fired  at  one,  and,  just  as  I 

26 


402  Mi<;  <;a.mk  of  noktii  amekica. 

intended,  only  ('rii)j)led  him.  He  set  up  a  great  squealing, 
and.  sure  enough,  here  they  came!  I  was  just  a  little 
ext'ited,  and  started  for  a  tree,  forgetting  my  coat  and  tur- 
key. I  had  scarcely  time  to  get  up  when  they  were  around 
the  tree,  and  instead  of  twelve,  they  kept  coming  until 
there  were  at  least  two  hundred. 

I  commenced  shooting,  antl  killed  five  with  my  rifle, 
that  being  the  number  of  shells  in  my  gun.  It  then 
occurred  to  me  that  my  rifle-shells  were  in  my  coat;  so, 
having  no  further  use  for  my  rifle,  and  realizing  that  it 
would  become  a  burden  to  me  if  compelled  to  stay  in  the 
tree  several  hours,  as  seemed  likely,  I  threw  it  down. 
Fortunately,  I  had  both  revolvers,  and  a  belt  fidl  of  car- 
tridges for  them;  so  I  went  at  them.  They  were  chewing  the 
tree,  and  climbing  over  each  other  trying  to  get  at  me. 
Each  shot  laid  one  out,  and  each  shot  seemed  to  make  tliera 
more  and  more  furious,  as  they  would  rush  at  the  tree,  and 
gnaw  the  bark  and  wood,  while  the  white  flakes  of  froth  fell 
from  their  mouths.  All  at  once  I  remembered  that  my  car- 
tridges would  soon  run  out,  so  I  quit  shooting  and  watched 
them.  When  one  would  rear  up  and  act  as  if  he  wanted  to 
climb  the  tree,  I  would  give  him  a  load;  then  they  would  rush 
at  the  tree  again,  and  bite  and  gnaw.  I  tried  to  count  them, 
and  found  that  there  were  over  two  hundred  left,  and  I  had 
killed  twenty-three.  The  position  I  had  was  not  a  comfort- 
able one,  but  I  had  to  stand  it.  Then  for  the  first  time  I 
thought  of  the  boys.  Had  they  heard  my  shooting  ?  H  so, 
would  they  comei  Then  I  remembered  I  had  not  fired  the 
signal  agreed  on,  and  that  I  had  followed  the  turkeys  up 
the  mountain  and  down  again,  and  by  this  time  the  boys 
must  be  four  miles  uj)  the  cafiou,  and  on  the  opposite  side. 

The  Peccaries  showed  no  signs  of  leaving.  It  was  now 
noon,  and  very  waiin.  They  would  root  around,  then 
come  ])ack  to  the  tree,  and  grunt,  and  paw,  and  bite  the 
tiee:  then  they  would  cool  down  a  little,  would  go  a  short 
distance  away,  root  ai'ound  awhile,  then  come  back  again. 
I  was  getting  tiled  of  being  treed,  but  it  was  just  Avhat  we 
had  i»laiiiit'(l  the  night  befoi'e,  only  we  were  not  all  together. 


ONLY  WAITING. 


THE   PECCARY.  403 

If  the  boys  could  only  hear  my  firing,  and  come  over,  liow 
quick  we  would  wipe  them  out. 

Such  thoughts  ran  through  my  head;  but  still  the  pigs 
stayed.  One  o'clock  came,  then  two;  still  they  stayed. 
Then  I  thought  I  would  fire  a  signal  witlimy  revolver  -may 
be  the  boys  were  hunting  for  me;  so  I  made  a  noise,  and 
back  to  the  tree  they  came.  I  killed  three  of  them  in  about 
a  second;  then  I  waited.  Three  o'clock  came,  then  four,  and 
no  signs  of  the  boys.  Some  of  the  pigs  would  feed  while 
others  stood  guard;  then  they  would  change  off.  I  was  so 
tired  I  could  scarcely  stay  in  the  tree;  so  I  took  my  belt  off 
and  buckled  myself  fast  to  the  trunk,  so  that  I  would  not 
fall  out. 

Seven  o'clock!  I  could  see  no  change;  they  still  camped 
near  me,  showing  no  signs  of  weakening.  Then  the  sun 
went  l)ehind  the  mountain;  darkness  came  on,  and  I  was 
thirsty,  hungry,  and  tired;  but,  worse  than  all,  I  was  a  pris- 
oner. Twelve  o'clock!  The  moon  shone  brightly,  and  I 
could  see  my  sentinels  scattered  around.  Two  o'clock! 
Then  came  a  signal  from  some  of  the  outside  ones;  the  rest 
snuffed  the  air,  then  away  they  all  went.  I  could  hear  them 
far  below,  going  down  the  mountain. 

I  then  commenced  to  wonder  what  had  started  them  all 
at  once.  Was  it  a  Grizzly  or  a  Silver  Lion:!  If  either,  I 
was  still  in  danger.  I  listened  a  few  minutes,  but  could 
hear  nothing,  see  nothing;  so  I  unloosed  the  belt  and  got 
down,  more  dead  than  alive — so  stiff'  and  cramped  that  I 
could  scarcely  walk.  I  went  first  to  where  I  left  my  turkey 
and  coat.  The  turkey  had  been  eaten,  and  my  coat  had 
been  thoroughly  chewed.  I  found  a  few  cartridges  scat- 
tered around,  and  putting  them  in  my  rifle,  I  started  for 
camp,  where  I  arrived  just  at  day-break.  Two  of  the  boys 
were  out  on  horseback,  hunting  for  me.  I  was  so  tired  I 
could  not  stand,  and  after  eating  a  little  and  having  two 
cui)s  of  strong  coffee,  I  went  to  sleep.  When  I  awoke,  at 
twelve  o'clock,  the  boys  had  come  in.  They  said  after  I 
left  them  they  had  gone  back  and  trailed  the  Grizzly  six 
miles  into  a  deep  canon,  but  failed  to  get  sight  of  him.     I 


404 


lUd    GAMK    OF    NOUTII    AMKKKA. 


told  them  I  had  all  the  Peccaries  I  wanted,  and  was  ready 
to  go  back;  so  next  day  we  packed,  and  rode  into  Hermo- 
silla  well  satisfied.  Hereafter,  anyone  who  wants  to  hunt 
Peccaries  can  hunt  them  and  be  blanked;  but  1  prefer  some 
kind  of  game  that  is  not  so  fond  of  human  flesh  as  they 
are. 


THE  COUGAR. 


n 


By  "W.  a.  Perry  {  "  Sillalicum  " ). 

HIS  animal  lias  the  distinction  of  being  called  a 
^  number  of  names.  Like  the  African  Lion,  he  is  a 
^y  ferocious  brute,  almost  similar  to  that  animal  in 
^•^  color,  and  has  the  same  trait  of  instantly  killing 
his  prey.  He  was  originally,  and  still  is  in  some  localities, 
called  the  American  Lion.  Among  the  people  in  the  West- 
ern States  it  was  formerly  called  the  Panther,  and  by  com- 
mon custom  this  name  degenerated  into  "Painter."  In 
New  England  it  was  sometimes  called  the  Catamount.  The 
French  in  the  early  settlement  of  Louisiana  called  it  Cougar, 
and  some  of  their  naturalists,  eager  to  make  a  little 
notoriety,  gave  it  the  name  of  Carcajou,  which  really 
belongs  to  the  Glutton.  Others  called  it  by  the  outlandish, 
unpronounceable  name  of  Gouazoura,  and  if  they  could 
have  found  a  worse  name  they  would  doubtless  have  applied 
it  to  this  much-named  creature.  By  the  title  of  Puma, 
given  to  it  by  the  South  Americans,  and  by  the  names  of 
California  Lion  and  Mountain  Lion,  it  is  generally  known  in 
the  United  States. 

This  animal  is  similar  in  shape  to  the  Mustela.  its  body 
being  long  and  slender,  the  legs  short  and  stout.  The  head 
is  small  when  compared  with  the  body,  and  is  always 
carried  high.     He  is  a  rather  proud  chap,  is  our  Cougar. 

His  color  is  silvery  fawn,  sometimes  approaching  to  red 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  body,  the  tawny  hairs  of  the  upx^er 
parts  being  whitish  at  the  tips.  The  belly  and  inside  of  the 
legs  are  almost  white,  the  head  black  and  gray  irregularly 
mixed.  The  female  is  colored  like  the  male.  The  Cougar 
varies  in  length  from  eight  and  one-half  to  eleven  feet,  from 
point  of  nose  to  tij)  of  tail. 

C405) 


406 


HK;    (iAMK    OF    NOKTII    AMERICA. 


The  Cougar  is  tlie  Tiger  of  the  Occident,  being  the  hirgest 
of  the  cat  kind  found  in  the  northern  part  of  tlie  Western 
Henusi^here.  His  range  extends  from  the  Arctic  Circle  to 
Patagonia,  but  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  he  is  alto- 
gether extirx)ated  or  extremely  rare,  except  in  the  Southern 
States.  It  is  yet  abundant  in  Northern  California,  Oregon, 
Washington,  British  Columbia,  and  Alaska.  It  is  especially 
abundant  in  Northern  Washington,  along  the  Skagit  and 
Nooksack  Rivers,  the  abundance  of  Deer,  grouse,  rabbits, 
and  lish  in  the  streams,  furnishing  it  with  a  never-failing 
supply  of  food;  and  here  it  obtains  its  greatest  development 
in  size. 


Cougar  and  Young. 


It  is  a  subject  of  discussion  among  hunters  as  to  the 
number  of  young  that  the  Cougar  produces  at  a  birth. 
The  naturalists  state  that  the  litters  usually  vary  from 
three  to  five,  but  from  my  own  personal  experience,  and 
from  extensive  inquiries  among  other  hunters  and  trappers, 
I  can  not  corroborate  this  statement.  I  have  never  found 
more  tliaii  two  kittens  in  a  litter;  and  very  pretty  little 


TlIK  corGAii.  407 

creatures  they  are,  spotted,  and  sometimes  striped  like  the 
turquoise-shell  cat.  The  den  they  are  born  in  is  usually  a 
cave  in  the  rock  on  the  mountain-side,  or  a  hollow  tree  in 
some  dense  thicket.  The  Cougar  is  a  very  affectionate 
mother,  and  will  light  to  the  death  in  defense  of  her  young. 

The  Cougar  is  stated  by  naturalists  to  be  a  nocturnal 
animal,  but  in  this  they  are  also  mistaken.  He  may  be 
nocturnal  in  a  measure,  but  he  is  also  diurnal,  and  seeks 
his  i)rey  by  day  as  well  as  night,  as  many  a  poor  rancher 
can  testify,  through  losses  of  colts,  sheep,  calves,  and  cattle, 
day-victims  to  this  greedy  marauder.  Neither  is  it  the 
cowardly  animal  that  the  above-named  gentlemen  term  it, 
but  it  will  fight  boldly  in  defense  of  its  young  or  its  prey. 
In  another  place  I  will  relate  several  instances  where  it  has 
attacked  people  in  daylight,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  I  have 
never  known  it  to  attack  a  person  at  night. 

The  food  of  the  Cougar  consists  of  Deer,  Elk,  sheep, 
hogs,  birds,  snails,  fish,  rabbits,  rats,  and  mice.  He  is 
very  destructive,  often  killing,  apparently,  for  the  mere 
delight  of  destroying.  While  I  write  this,  my  feet  rest  on 
the  skin  of  a  Cougar  that  killed  nineteen  sheep  the  morn- 
ing that  his  skin  became  mine.  The  Bear  delights  to  feast 
from  the  quivering  flesh  of  its  living  jjrey,  while  the  Cou- 
gar will  not  begin  its  meal  until  its  victim  is  dead,  and  that 
death  is  usually  instantaneous,  A  flash  of  lightning  could 
not  be  more  sudden  in  its  worlv  than  is  the  leap  of  Fells 
concolor.  A  swoop  of  that  great,  muscular  paw,  and  if  the 
victim's  neck  is  not  broken,  the  white,  glistening,  ivory 
fangs  cut  through  the  neck  and  sever  the  spinal  cord.  But 
there  are  exceptions  to  this  method,  as  in  the  case  of  fawns 
and  children  These  the  Cougar  seizes  and  carries  away  as 
a  cat  does  a  mouse.  But  the  favorite  food  of  the  Cougar 
appears  to  be  horse-flesh,  and  the  younger  the  colt,  the  more 
to  his  taste.  If  the  mare  fight  in  defense  of  her  colt,  she 
will  also  become  a  victim,  for  the  Cougar  is  a  determined 
brute,  and  only  interference  on  the  \)^Yt  of  some  powerful 
enemy  Avill  divert  him  from  his  prey.  1  have  known  a 
Cougar  to  kill  a  good-sized  Indian  pony  and  its  colt,  and 


408  BIG   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMERICA. 

drag  them  across  a  meadow  and  over  a  high  fence  into  the 
adjoining  woods.  This  seems  almost  incredible;  but  many 
instances  are  on  record,  attested  by  indisputable  evidence, 
showing  equally  great  feats  of  their  strength. 

I  was  a  witness  of  a  battle  between  a  Jersey  cow  and  a 
Cougar,  in  which,  however,  the  cow  held  her  own.  When  I 
tirst  occupied  my  ranch  on  the  Sumas,  in  1877,  the  country 
was  a  wilderness,  there  being  only  live  inhabitants  in  the 
township.  I  was  the  possessor  of  five  Jersey  cows,  and 
one  after  the  other  fell  victims  to  what  I  supposed  were 
Grizzly  Bears,  until  only  one  was  left.  At  last  she  disap- 
peared, and  I  searched  the  woods  far  and  near  for  two  days, 
but  could  lind  no  trace  of  her.  Early  on  the  third  morning 
I  was  awakened  by  a  loud  bellowing,  such  as  the  cow  only 
makes  when  in  extreme  terror  or  distress.  Hastily  dress- 
ing, I  seized  my  rifle  and  ran  up  the  hill  into  the  lir  grove 
from  whence  the  sounds  came.  Entering  the  grove,  my 
attention  was  at  once  attracted  to  a  large  Cougar,  which  was 
slowly  walking  around  the  bellowing  cow.  She  was  backed 
up  agamst  a  large  log,  and  a  calf,  apparently  a  day  old, 
was  lying  almost  under  the  log,  directly  behind  the  cow. 
Knowing  that  the  Cougar  could  not  escape  me,  I  became 
an  interested  spectator  of  the  light.  Whenever  the  Cougar 
approached  too  near,  the  cow,  with  a  fearful  bellow,  would 
charge  the  Cougar,  which  in  turn  would  avoid  her  sharp 
horns,  and  strike  a  heavy  blow  at  her  neck  with  his  paw, 
wliich  the  cow  would  dodge  as  quickly  as  it  was  given.  I 
coidd  see  that  the  Cougar  intended  to  draw  the  cow  away 
some  distance,  and  then  rush  up  and  seize  the  calf;  but 
the  cow  appeared  to  be  aware  of  this  design,  as  she  would 
only  cliase  the  brute  a  short  distance,  then  return  and  take 
her  position  over  her  calf.  At  last  the  Cougar  seemed 
determined  to  end  the  battle.  Walking  to  a  convenient 
distance  for  a  spring,  he  crouched  in  front  of  the  cow,  but 
as  he  was  about  to  rise  in  the  air,  a  Winchester  bullet 
entered  his  brain,  and  he  fell,  writhing  in  the  throes  of 
death.     The  cow  made  a  rush,  planted  her   horns   in   the 


THE   COUGAR.  409 

prostrate  animal,  and  gored  and  trampled  him  until  I  drove 
her  away. 

Ajb  another  time  I  was  a  witness  of  a  Cougar  seeking  his 
prey,  but  it  was  not  of  so  large  or  so  noble  a  sx)ecies  as 
that  I  have  just  mentioned.  One  day,  while  shooting  ducks 
on  a  marsh  near  Sumas  Lake,  I  saw  a  large  animal  going 
through  some  eccentric  motions,  and  drawing  near,  I  saw  it 
was  a  Cougar  trying  to  catch  something  that  was  concealed 
beneath  a  cotton-wood  log  about  ten  feet  long  and  three  feet 
in  diameter.  He  would  stand  erect  behind  the  log,  and  with 
his  paws  would  give  it  a  heavy  jerk,  rolling  the  log  a  yard  or 
more,  and  at  the  same  time  would  spring  over  it  and  strike 
heavy  blows,  first  with  one  paw  and  then  with  the  other,  at 
some  object  on  the  ground.  I  watched  him  roll  the  log 
over  several  times  before  he  saw  me,  but  when  he  did,  he 
beat  a  hasty  retreat.  Curious  to  know  what  he  was  trying 
to  catch,  I,  by  the  aid  of  a  pole  that  I  found  near,  rolled 
the  log  over,  and  found — two  mice.  It  was  a  most  ridicu- 
lous and  awkward  figure  that  the  great  brute  made  in  try- 
ing to  catch  his  diminutive  prey. 

There  is  a  popular  fallacy  to  the  effect  that  the  Cougar 
secures  his  prey  by  remaining  concealed  over  some  game- 
trail,  on  the  limb  of  a  tree,  and  that  by  a  sudden  spring 
from  his  secure  elevation  he  seizes  and  strikes  his  prey  dead. 
In  Washington  it  is  usually  at  least  a  hundred  feet  to 
the  first  limb  of  the  trees — a  very  inconvenient  height  for  a 
Cougar,  or,  in  fact,  for  anj^  living  quadruped,  to  spring  from. 
I  have  tracked  Cougars  several  times  in  the  snow,  where 
they  were  on  the  trail  of  Deer,  and  twice  have  found  them 
feasting  on  their  quarry.  In  every  case  the  mode  of  x^ro- 
cedure  had  been  the  same.  They  had  crept  stealthily 
behind  the  Deer  until  near  enough,  when,  by  a  sudden 
spring,  they  had  struck  it  down.  Death  in  each  case  must 
have  been  instantaneous,  as  they  lay  dead  in  their  tracks, 
and  there  was  no  sign  of  a  struggle. 

One  of  the  few  authentic  instances  of  a  Cougar  seizing 
a  large  animal  is  given  by  Mr.  John  Harkness.  of  Clear- 
brook,  Washington.     One  June  evening,  he  went  to  drive 


410  ma  GAME  OF  north  America. 

home  his  cows  that  pastured  in  a  swamp  near  at  hand. 
This  swamp  was  bordered  by  a  belt  of  willows.  When 
lie  reached  the  willows,  he  learned,  by  the  ringing  of  the 
bells,  that  the  cows  were  coming  home.  Seating  himself  on 
a  log,  he  awaited  their  coming.  One  by  one  they  came 
through  the  willow -bordered  path,  until  the  last  one,  a 
yearling  steer,  stopped  a  few  feet  away  from  him  and  began 
to  graze;  and  just  at  this  time  he  became  aware  of  a 
stealthy  gray  form  that  was  intently  creeping  behind  the 
steer.  It  took  but  a  glance  to  ascertain  that  the  lithe 
form  w^as  that  of  a  large  Cougar.  John  felt  rather  uncom- 
fortable, but  sat  quietly,  and  watched  the  actions  of  the 
Cougar. 

The  latter,  crouching,  almost  crawling  along  the  ground, 
slowly  neared  its  intended  victim.  Every  motion  of  the 
calf  was  carefully  noted,  and  wiienever  it  raised  its  head 
the  Cougar  would  crouch  motionless  on  the  grass;  but 
when  the  calf  dropped  its  head,  the  snake-like,  insidious 
mo^^ion  in  the  long,  lithe  body  of  the  great  cat  was  resumed 
until  it  was  at  the  very  heels  of  the  calf.  Then,  rearing 
slowly  up,  it  reached  its  fore  paws  gently  over  the  shoulders 
of  the  calf.  The  Cougar  was  a  sight  to  behold.  With  blaz- 
ing eyes,  and  with  lips  curled  uj^ward  exposing  its  white 
fangs,  it  w^aited  for  the  calf  to  raise  its  head.  Then  the 
long,  graceful  body  would  have  surged,  and  with  the  clos- 
ing of  the  fangs  on  the  calf's  neck,  death  would  have  been 
instantaneous.  But,  before  it  could  carry  out  its  inten- 
tions, John  gave  a  loud  yell,  which  so  terrified  the  Cougar 
that  he  fell  backward,  scrambled  to  his  feet,  and,  with 
one  leap,  vanished  in  the  willows. 

The  Cougar  will  not  eat  carrion;  neither  will  he  refuse 
an  animal  lately  killed.  One  day,  when  shooting  rabbits,  I 
tied  together  a  number  that  I  had  killed,  and  hung  them 
on  a  branch  of  an  alder  which  overhung  the  path.  Return- 
ing ahmg  the  same  path  shortly  after,  I  met  a  Cougar 
trotting  leisurely  along  with  my  rabbits  in  his  mouth. 
Having  a  shell  loaded  with  buckshot,  he  paid  for  his  dis- 
honestv  with  liis  life. 


THE   COUGAR.  411 

The  gait  of  a  Cougar  is  tlie  same  as  tliat  of  the  domestic 
cat — either  a  trot  or  a  plunging  run.  They  are  not  very 
swift,  and  will  easily  tree  to  even  a  small  cur  dog.  There 
is  nothing  that  the  Cougar  fears  so  much  as  a  dog,  and 
they  will  take  to  the  nearest  tree  at  the  sight  of  one.  They 
can  climb  with  the  greatest  facility. 

Sometimes,  when  the  hunter  is  stalking  the  Deer  in  the 
deep  recesses  of  the  forest,  he  is  startled  by  a  fiendish  ciy — 
a  cry  so  unearthly  and  so  weird  that  even  the  man  of 
stoutest  heart  will  start  in  affright;  a  cry  that  can  only  be 
likened  to  a  scream  of  demoniac  laughter.  This  is  the  cry 
of  the  male  Cougar.  If  it  is  answered  by  the  female,  the 
response  will  be  similar  to  the  wail  of  a  child  in  terrible  pain. 

The  method  usually  employed  in  hunting  the  Cougar  is 
chasing  them  with  dogs.  Any  dog  that  will  chase  a  cat 
will  pursue  a  Cougar.  The  best  dogs  I  ever  used  in  hunt- 
ing the  Cougar  were  Collies.  I  once  hunted  a  season  with 
a  wise  old  Deer-hound,  who  was  infallible  when  on  the  trail 
of  a  Cougar;  but  when  he  had  succeeded  in  "treeing" 
the  animal,  and  I  would  prepare  to  shoot,  he  would  mod- 
estly retire.  After  hearing  tlie  report  of  my  Winchester, 
he  would  sedately  return  and  insx)ect  the  dead  Cougar  with 
solemn  gravity.  He  was  a  scarred  hero  of  the  wilderness, 
and  no  doubt  in  his  youth  had  waged  so  many  battles  with 
the  "  big  kitty  "  that  he  had  grown  cautious  in  his  old  age. 

Concerning  the  tenacity  of  life,  I  do  not  think  that  there 
is  an  animal  of  its  size  that  is  so  easily  killed  as  that  under 
discussion.  I  have  known  them  to  be  killed  with  a  shot- 
gun and  Xo.  6  shot.  The  gun  that  I  have  always  used  in 
hunting  these  animals  was  a  Model  '73  Winchester,  44 
caliber;  but  to  the  novice  or  amateur  who  desires  to  hunt 
these  animals,  I  would  recommend  the  Model  '86  Win- 
chester repeater,  in  any  caliber  above  38.  In  a  recent  hunt- 
ing-trip I  used  an  '86  Model,  50-110,  and  found  it  to  be  the 
most  paralyzing  rifle  I  ever  used,  killing  Deer  and  Cinna- 
mon Bears  as  if  they  had  been  struck  by  lightning. 

There  is  no  systematic  manner  of  hunting  tlie  Cougar. 
When  still-hunting  the  Deer,  the  hunter  often  observes  a 


412  TUG  GAME  OF  NORTH   AMERICA, 

shadow-like  movement  among  the  trees.  He  listens,  then 
^vat('hes  in  the  direction  where  he  saw  the  shadow.  If  he 
should  see  a  tawny  form  appear,  let  him  fire  at  it  instantly. 
If  the  shot  has  been  well-aimed,  he  will  be  assured  of  its  suc- 
cess by  hearing  a  piercing  scream,  or  witnessing  the  most 
exuberant  exhibition  of  ground  and  lofty  tumbling  that  he 
has  ever  seen.  Sometimes  he  will  also  see  the  great  Cat 
come  plunging  rapidly  in  his  direction.  At  one  time,  when 
hunting  on  the  Chilliwhack  River,  in  British  Columbia,  I 
saw  what  I  thought  was  a  Deer,  stealing  away  from  me  in 
the  bushes.  Drawing  a  bead  on  the  vanishing  animal,  I 
tired,  and  instantly  it  changed  its  course  and  came  rushing 
at  me.  I  saw  that  it  was  a  large  Cougar.  The  next  shot 
was  more  fortunate,  and  broke  its  spine,  and  even  then  it 
dragged  its  body  tow^ard  me  on  its  fore  legs.  I  then  shot 
out  first  one  eye,  and  then  the  other.  In  a  few  moments  it 
ceased  to  struggle,  and  when  I  reached  it  I  found  that  the 
first  shot  had  passed  through  its  stomach.  A  wound  in  the 
stomach  enrages  either  a  Bear  or  a  Cougar. 

If  the  sportsman,  desirous  of  killing  a  Cougar,  proceeds 
to  any  of  the  settlements  in  the  mountain  districts  of  Brit- 
isli  Columbia,  he  will  not  have  to  wait  long  before  he  has 
the  desired  pleasure.  Let  his  wish  be  known,  and  it  will 
not  be  long  before  he  is  notified,  by  some  luckless  rancher, 
of  a  loss  of  some  calf,  colt,  or  sheep.  Let  him  proceed  to 
the  scene  of  slaughter,  accompanied  by  a  dog  of  any  kind 
that  will  chase  a  common  cat.  The  Cougar  always  gorges 
himself  when  he  kills,  and  then  goes  to  sleep.  He  will  be 
found  near  his  prey,  and,  with  little  exertion  and  no  attend- 
ing danger,  the  hunter  may  secure  the  desired  animal,  as  it 
will  take  to  the  nearest  tree  on  approach  of  the  dog,  who 
by  barking  will  notify  the  hunter  of  his  quarry. 

There  is  no  use  attempting  to  still-hunt  the  Cougar.  If 
aware  you  are  on  his  trail,  he  will  keep  but  a  short  distance 
away  from  you;  but  so  noiseless  are  his  steps,  so  keen  his 
sight,  and  so  accurate  is  his  scent,  that  the  hunter  is  not 
likely  to  obtain  a  glimpse  of  his  royal  catship.  Sometimes 
the  game  will  circle  around  and  follow  directly  in  the  trail 


THE   COUGAE.  413 

of  the  hunter,  dogging  his  footsteps  for  miles;  but  let  him 
take  the  back  track,  and  he  will  soon  discover  that  the  Cou- 
gar has  again  doubled  on  his  trail. 

In  order  to  show  that  the  Cougar  is  not  the  cowardly  or 
nocturnal  animal  that  the  naturalists  claim  it  to  be,  I  will 
relate  a  few  instances  in  which  it  has  attacked  people  in 
day-time.  One  of  these  instances  illustrates  a  remarkable 
case  of  boyish  heroism. 

In  the  spring  of  1886,  the  children  of  a  Mr.  Farnham, 
who  resides  a  few  miles  from  Olympia,  Washington,  were 
returning  from  school,  when  Walter,  the  eldest,  a 'boy  of 
twelve,  noticed  something  that  he  thought  was  a  large  yel- 
low dog,  trotting  in  the  road  behind  them.  They  paid  no 
attention  to  it,  as  large  mongrel  dogs,  of  this  color,  abound 
everywhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Indian  camps,  but  played 
leisurely  along,  as  is  the  custom  of  children  the  world  over. 
The  youngest  boy,  a  chubby  little  chap  of  six  summers,  who 
was  behind  his  brothers,  suddenly  came  rolling  along  in 
front  of  his  brothers,  and  a  moment  later  the  great  cat 
sprung  over  the  heads  of  the  two  astonished  boys,  seized 
the  little  fellow  in  its  mouth,  and  with  a  spring  vanished 
from  sight  in  the  bushes, 

A  cry  of  terror  rose  from  the  lips  of  the  now  terrified 
boys,  that  was  answered  by  one  of  pain,  fright,  and  agony 
from  the  jungle.  The  elder  brother  did  not  deliberate  on 
what  to  do.  He  had  no  weapon  other  than  an  empty  brandy- 
bottle,  in  which  he  had  carried  milk  for  their  dinner,  and  with 
this  he  rushed  into  the  bushes.  He  saw  his  little  brother 
lying  prostrate,  grasping  a  small  tree  with  both  hands,  and 
holding  on  with  the  desperation  of  despair,  while  the 
Cougar,  with  his  fangs  luckily  embedded  only  in  the  child' s 
clothing,  was  trying  to  break  the  deathlike  grip  with  which 
the  child  held  to  the  tree.  With  a  scream,  Walter  threw 
himself  on  the  Cougar,  beat  it  over  the  head  with  the  bottle 
until  the  latter  was  shattered  into  fragments,  and  then  with 
the  ragged  edges  of  the  neck  of  the  bottle,  which  he  still 
held  in  his  hand,  he   endeavored  to  cut  out  the  Cougar  s 


414  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

eyes.  At  last,  the  Cougar,  with  a  yell  of  rage,  droi)ped  his 
hold  on  the  child  and  ran  up  a  tree  near  at  hand;  while  the 
heroic  boy,  lifting  his  brother  in  his  arms,  carried  him  into 
the  road,  and  fell,  fainting,  upon  him. 

The  other  brother  had  meantime  lied,  screaming,  up  the 
road,  and  it  so  happened  that  two  men  were  chopping  wood 
nt)t  far  away,  who,  on  hearing  the  screams  of  the  children, 
came  running  to  the  rescue,  and  met  the  boy  in  the  road.  As 
soon  as  he  could,  he  told  them  the  cause  of  his  cries.  Seeing 
tlie  other  children  lying  in  the  road,  they  rushed  to  them, 
and  found  the  little  hero  senseless,  still  grasping  the  neck 
of  the  broken  bottle  tightly  in  his  hand.  The  Cougar's  vic- 
tim was  too  horrified  to  speak,  but  pointed  to  where  the 
savage  beast  was  lying  on  a  limb,  in  plain  view.  One  of  the 
men  had  a  revolver,  and  with  a  few  shots  killed  the  Cougar. 
Both  children  were  badly  scratched  and  bruised,  but  soon 
recovered. 

Another  instance  in  which  a  Cougar  attacked  a  man  in 
daylight,  happened  but  a  few  years  ago.  A  Swedish  sailor 
named  Joseph  Jorgenson  ran  away  from  a  British  man-of- 
war  that  was  anchored  at  Esquimalt,  British  Columbia,  and 
found  his  way  through  the  woods  until  he  rested  under  the 
domain  of  the  starry  fiag.  Arriving  at  my  father's  farm,  on 
the  Sumas,  he  was  glad  to  obtain  emi)loyment  and  to  enjoy 
the  comforts  of  a  ranch  home.  As  there  was  at  that  time 
plenty  of  Government  land,  and  as  Joe,  like  the  majority  of 
his  race,  was  an  industrious,  honest  fellow,  my  father 
advised  him  to  homestead  an  excellent  quarter-section  of 
land  in  the  near  vicinity. 

Joe  was  elated  with  the  prospect  of  becoming  a  land- 
holder and  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  as  soon  as  the 
requisite  papers  arrived,  set  off  one  morning  to  clear  a  spot 
wheivon  to  build  his  house;  but  the  clearing  of  that  spot 
was  iutei-ru[)ted  by  a  Cougar,  in  a  very  unceremonious  way. 
Joe  had  scarcely  begun  to  work,  and  was  wielding  his  spade 
vigorously,  when  suddenly  his  arm  was  seized  as  in  a  vise. 
Ilr  wheeled  instantly,  and  found  that  his  arm  was  in  the 
jaws  of  :i  Cougar.     lie  was  a  young  and  powerful  man,  with 


THE   COUGAR.  415 

an  intense  desire  for  a  long  life;  so,  without  any  prelimi- 
naries, he  dealt  his  assailant  such  a  kick  in  the  stomach  as  to 
break  its  hold  on  his  arm  and  to  lay  it  prostrate  at  his  feet. 

The  Cougar  instantly  resented  this  rude  treatment. 
Crouching,  it  sprung  at  Joe's  throat,  but  he  warded  its  head 
from  his  throat  with  his  left  arm,  while  with  his  right  he 
dealt  it  a  Sullivanic  blow  in  the  ribs  that  again  prostrated 
it  at  his  side.  Quick  as  a  flash,  it  returned  to  the  attack  and 
seized  him  by  the  left  hand,  driving  its  fangs  through  the 
flesh  and  fearfully  lacerating  it.  It  was  a  fight  for  life,  and 
Joe,  with  his  brawny  fists  and  heavy  boots,  beat  and  kicked 
the  animal  with  such  force  that  it  released  its  grip  on  his 
hand  and  retreated  a  short  distance.  Then  it  crouched  and 
sprung  at  him  again,  landing  on  his  breast  and  knocking 
him  heavily  against  a  tree;  but  again  he  cuffed  and  kicked 
it,  until  it  again  retreated  and  crouched  for  anotlier  spring. 

Fortunately,  Joe,  looking  down,  saw  the  spade  he  had 
been  using  lying  at  his  feet.  Stooping  quickly,  he  grasped 
it,  and  rose  just  in  time  to  ward  off  the  Cougars  spring  by 
giving  it  a  thrust  with  the  spade.  The  brute  fell  at  his  feet, 
but  instantly  rose  and  seized  him  by  the  thigh.  Maddened 
with  pain,  Joe  made  a  gladiatorial  thrust  at  the  Cougar's 
head.  The  sharp  blade  of  the  spade  went  crashing  through 
its  skull,  and  it  fell  dead  at  his  feet. 

The  j)lace  where  this  battle  occurred  was  a  mile  from  my 
father  s  house,  and  we  can  imagine  the  feelings  of  the  poor 
fellow,  so  dreadfully  bitten  and  scratched,  as  he  reeled 
homeward,  the  blood  streaming  from  every  wound.  Hap- 
pily, he  was  observed  when  he  reached  the  edge  of  the 
prairie,  and  assistance  soon  reached  him.  He  was  conveyed 
to  the  house,  where  all  possible  assistance  was  rendered  him. 
It  was  many  weeks  before  he  recovered,  and  when  he  grew 
strong  again,  he  shipped  on  an  American  coaster  as  a  sailor, 
saying  that  he  had  less  fear  of  the  sharks  of  the  ocean  than 
of  the  "  big  kitties  "  of  the  land. 

Miss  Mary  Campbell,  of  York,  British  Columbia,  now 
the  wife  of  John  Kelly,  of  Sumas,   Washington,  had  an 


416  lUG    GA.MK   OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

adventure  with  a  Cougar  that  she  is  not  likely  to  forget.  I 
will  give  the  incident  in  her  own  words: 

"Let  me  see,"  she  said;  "yes,  it  was  just  six  years  ago 
last  F'ebruary  when  I  was  so  badly  frightened  by  a  Cougar. 
The  way  it  happened  was  tliis:  One  afternoon  I  started  to 
visit  the  Mussel  white  girls,  who  live  six  miles  from  York, 
on  the  Cariboo  road.  My  pony  was  a  swift  one,  and  I  was 
riding  along  at  a  fast  gallop.  I  was  wdthin  two  miles  of  my 
destination,  when  sometliing  sprung  out  of  the  bushes  and 
landed  in  the  road  just  at  the  pony's  head.  He  reared,  the 
saddle  turned,  and  I  was,  of  course,  flung  on  the  frozen  road, 
so  violently  that  for  a  moment  I  was  senseless.  When 
I  became  conscious  and  opened  my  eyes,  I  was  horrified  to 
see  two  great  green  eyes  glaring  in  my  face,  to  say  nothing 
of  a  horrid  row  of  teeth;  for  standing  directly  over  me,  with 
one  heavy  paw  pressing  on  my  breast,  was  a  big  Cougar. 

"  I  lay  for  a  moment  terrified;  but  you  know  a  woman's 
last  resort  is  to  scream,  and  I  did  scream,  so  loudly  that  it 
seemed  to  frighten  the  Cougar,  for  it  instantly  sprung  to 
one  side,  and  I  regained  my  feet  as  quickly  as  possible,  but 
I  was  so  terribly  frightened  that  I  could  not  think  or  move. 
I  stood  trembling  in  the  road,  bewildered  and  dazed,  while 
the  terrible  monster  crouched  in  front  of  me,  trembling  Avith 
eagerness,  its  tail  lashing  from  side  to  side;  but  it  did  not 
attempt  to  spring  upon  me.  It  kept  its  glaring  eyes  fixed 
intently  on  my  face  with  a  cruel,  wicked  stare. 

"  Seeing  that  it  did  not  attempt  to  spring,  I  began  to  walk 
slowly  backward.  The  Cougar  did  not  move  then,  but  kept 
on  intently  glaring  at  me.  Unluckily,  it  was  between  me  and 
Mussel  white's.  It  was  only  two  miles  there,  while  it  was 
four  miles  home;  but  I  did  not  dare  to  attempt  to  jjass  it. 
As  it  did  not  move  until  I  was  quite  a  distance  from  it,  I 
turned  quickly,  and  ran  toward  home  as  fast  as  I  could,  and 
ran  until  I  had  to  pause  from  exhaustion.  But  judge  of 
my  distress  when,  looking  back,  1  saw  the  Cougar  crouch- 
ing just  behind  me.  I  turned  and  looked  at  it  again  until 
I  got  some  distance  from  it,  and  until  I  had  recovered  my 
breath:  then  I  turned  and  lan  again,  but,  looking  backward. 


THE  COUGAR.  417 

I  could  see  the  Cougar  trotting  swiftly  after  me.  I  ran 
until  I  could  run  no  longer,  and  then  wheeled  and  faced  the 
Cougar  again,  which  again  stopped  and  crouched  in  the  road. 

"  I  began  to  take  courage,  seeing  that  the  animal  did  not 
attempt  to  do  me  injury  so  long  as  I  was  looking  at  it,  and 
so  I  continued  to  walk  backward.  I  had  come  more  than  a 
mile  since  the  Cougar  first  made  his  appearance,  and  I  hoped 
when  I  got  out  of  the  woods  into  the  prairie,  which  now 
was  not  more  than  a  mile  distant,  that  the  Cougar  would 
leave  me;  so  I  kept  on  my  retrograde  way.  When  I  got 
about  a  hundred  yards  away  from  the  Cougar,  it  rose  from 
its  recumbent  position  and  came  trotting  on  toward  me, 
and  when  it  came  within  a  few  feet,  crouched  again.  At 
that  time  my  heart  gave  a  great  leap  for  joy,  for  on  the  peb- 
bled road  came  the  sound  of  the  flying  footsteps  of  a  horse. 
Looking  over  my  shoulder,  I  saw  it  was  my  pony,  ridden 
by  a  half-breed  boy  who  lived  at  the  farm.  But  my  joy 
was  of  short  duration,  for  when  he  saw  the  Cougar  he 
wheeled  the  pony,  and  the  sound  of  his  footsteps  soon 
became  faint  in  the  distance. 

"Walking  slowly  backward,  but  with  fainting  heart,  I 
reached  the  edge  of  the  prairie.  As  soon  as  the  Cougar  saw 
the  open  expanse  before  it,  a  change  came  over  it.  It  grew 
excited.  It  came  rushing  toward  me,  and  instead  of  crouch- 
ing as  before,  ran  past  me,  and  stood  in  the  road  before  me, 
evidently  intending  to  bar  the  way  and  drive  me  back  into 
the  woods.  I  tried  to  walk  around  it,  but  it  would  keep 
directly  in  front  of  me,  and  seemed  determined  that  I  should 
not  proceed  any  farther.  It  grew  bolder  every  minute,  and 
at  last  came  boldly  up  and  seized  my  dress.  I  screamed,  and 
tore  myself  away  from  it,  leaving  most  of  my  dress-skirt  in 
its  paws. 

"  Then  came  a  sight  that  I  hope  no  other  girl  may  ever 
be  compelled  to  witness,  as  an  experience  of  her  own.  The 
brute  became  maddened,  and  began  jumping  quickly  around 
me,  keeping  its  eyes  intently  fixed  on  mine.  At  times  it 
would  stop,  lie  down,  and  roll  over,  playfully  clutching  at 
the  scanty  remnants  of  my  dress  that  it  had  not  already  torn 

27 


418  bk;  (jamk  of  north  amkrica. 

off.  I  tlu'U  lelt  that  the  end  was  near.  I  felt  that  the  Cou- 
gar was  plaj'ing  with  me,  as  the  cat  plays  with  the  mouse, 
and  that  at  any  moment,  when  it  tired  of  tormenting  me,  I 
woukl  be  torn  to  pieces.  A  feeling  of  faintness  seized  me. 
I  tried  to  take  my  eyes  from  the  basaltic-green  eyes  that 
were  staring  so  cruellj^  into  mine,  with  the  triumj^h  of  con- 
(Xuering  strength  and  satisfactory  possession,  but  could  not. 
.V  sound  as  of  rushing  waters  was  in  my  ears;  I  reeled  and 
staggt^red  like  a  drunken  person,  and  began  crying  like  a 
child;  I  felt  like  one  must  feel  when  life  and  light  are  flut- 
tering away;  then  I  reeled  and  fell  on  the  margin  of  the 
prairie.  But  just  at  that  instant  two  dark  bodies  went  fly- 
ing past  me,  there  came  a  loud  baying  and  a  deep  snarling; 
then  again  came  .1  clattering  of  hoofs,  and  then  the  ringing 
and  almost  continuous  reports  of  a  Winchester  rifle.  I 
^pl'ung  to  my  feet  and  looked  toward  the  Cougar.  It  was 
struggling  in  death,  and  growling  and  tearing  at  it  were  our 
two  great  hounds,  Lead  and  Jowler.  Then  someone  spoke 
to  me;  I  turned,  and  there  stood  father.  I  fainted  again, 
fell  in  his  arms,  and  knew  nothing  more  for  many  days,  for 
this  terrible  experience  was  followed  by  an  attack  of  brain- 
fever.  ' ' 

Mr  Charles  Harmon,  of  Mount  Vernon,  Skagit  County, 
"Washington,  had  an  experience  with  a  Cougar  similar  to 
that  just  described.  While  engaged  in  looking  for  some 
oxen  that  had  strayed  away  from  his  logging-camp,  he  heard 
a  crashing  in  the  bushes,  and  saw  a  large  Cougar  a  little 
distance  from  him,  standing  on  a  log.  He  uttered  a  loud 
yell,  thinking  he  would  have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the 
Cougar  rushing  wildly  away  from  him;  but,  to  his  no  small 
consternation,  it  came  trotting  swiftly  toward  him.  It  did 
nor  attempt  to  spring  upon  him,  but  stood  at  his  side,  look- 
ing intently  at  him. 

About  that  time  he  discovered  that  he  had  pressing  busi- 
ness ;it  the  cnmp,  and  started  down  tlie  path  that  led  thither. 
The  Cougar,  with  its  easy,  swinging  step,  kept  right  behind 
him,  and  frequently  would  reach  up  and  lick  his  hand.    No 


THE   COUGAR.  419 

poet  ever  described  a  situation  more  accurately  than  did 
Coleridge  describe  this  one  wlien  he  wrote: 

"  Like  one  that  on  a  lonesome  road 
Doth  walk  in  fear  and  dread, 
And  havin<r  once  turned  round,  walks  on 
And  turns  no  more  his  head, 
Because  he  knows  a  frightfid  fiend 
Doth  close  behind  hira  tread." 

This  Cougar  acted  in  the  same  manner  as  did  the  one 
which  attacked  Miss  Campbell,  following  Harmon  right  into 
the  camp,  a  distance  of  two  miles,  and  succeeded  in  tearing 
most  of  his  clothing  off  before  he  reached  shelter.  When 
Harmon  arrived  at  the  camp,  the  Cougar  crouched  near  the 
door  until  it  was  shot. 

Mr.  Cathcart,  of  Snohomish,  Washington,  was  also  at- 
tacked by  a  Cougar  in  daylight.  He  was  returning  from  a 
visit  to  a  neighbor,  and  was  a  short  distance  from  his  own 
residence,  when  a  Cougar  sprung  out  of  the  place  where  he 
had  been  concealed  in  a  dense  thicket,  and  attempted  to 
strike  him  down,  but  luckily  missed  him,  and  landed  in  the 
path  at  his  feet.  With  a  large  cane  that  he  held  in  his  hand, 
he  made  such  a  determined  fight  for  his  life  that  he  held  the 
Cougar  at  bay,  at  the  same  time  lustily  calling  for  help. 
His  faithful  dog  heard  him  and  came  to  the  rescue,  and 
none  too  soon,  for  Cathcart  was  almost  exhausted  with  his 
battle  with  the  animal.  On  the  appearance  of  the  dog,  the 
Cougar  took  to  a  tree,  and  was  afterward  shot. 

A  Cougar  also  attacked  Mr.  John  Potter,  of  Brownsville, 
British  Columbia,  while  he  was  riding  along  the  road,  on  a 
journey  to  New  Westminster.  Without  any  warning,  it 
sprung  on  his  horse's  neck.  The  horse  reared,  and  threw  his 
rider,  also  the  Cougar,  and  when  they  scrambled  to  their 
feet,  the  man  and  Cougar  stared  intently  at  each  other, 
until  the  Cougar  with  one  leap  disappeared  into  the  bushes 
at  the  side  of  the  road. 

The  Cougars  that  attacked  Miss  Campbell  and  Mr.  Har- 
mon were  both  females.     Some  old  hunters  that  I  have  con- 


420  BIG   GAME  OF   NOUTII    AMERICA. 

versed  with  claim  that  at  certain  periods  the  female  Cougar 
becomes  very  bold,  and  loses  the  instinct  of  prey  in  the  desire 
for  companionship,  but  that  when  she  finds  how  helpless  an 
unarmed  mortal  is,  she  proceeds  at  once  to  destroy  him. 

The  following  incident  was  related  to  me  by  Hon.  Orange 
Jacobs,  ex-delegate  to  Congress  from  Washington: 

"In  1864,''  said  the  Judge,  "I  was  out  with  a  party, 
high  up  in  the  Cascade  Mountains.  Our  party  consisted  of 
nine  persons,  including  myself.  Our  camp  was  at  the  end 
of  a  long,  narrow  prairie,  which  was  about  a  mile  from  the 
Santiam  River,  one  of  the  principal  eastern  tributaries  of 
the  Willamette.  Deer  were  plentiful,  but  they  kept  con- 
cealed in  the  day-time,  in  the  almost  impenetrable  brush 
and  ferns.  One  of  our  party  had  twice  started  a  line  buck, 
that  on  each  occasion  had  run  across  the  upper  end  of  the 
prairie  toward  the  river.  Meat  was  getting  scarce  in  camp, 
and  that  buck  we  must  have.  Your  humble  servant  was 
accounted  the  best  running-shot  in  the  party,  and  was 
accordingly  sent  to  the  upper  end  of  the  prairie  to  take  a 
stand,  while  the  others  beat  the  brush  to  start  the  antlered 
beauty. 

"The  plan  succeeded,  and  he  bounded  across  the  prairie 
some  seven  or  eight  rods  from  me.  I  fired,  and  shot  him 
through  the  thigh.  He  plunged  on,  however,  through  the 
dense  brush  toward  the  river.  I  followed  slowly  after  him, 
clambering  over  and  crawling  under  logs,  believing  that  I 
would  find  him  dead  or  dying  at  the  foot  of  the  first  em- 
bankment that  he  descended.  I  soon  came  to  a  dry  gully. 
I  approached  the  brink  carefully,  and  looking  over  the  bank, 
there — not  more  than  twentj^  feet  from  me — lay  the  Deer, 
dead.  But  immediately  over  him  stood  a  large  male  Cou- 
gar, gazing  intently  in  the  eye  of  the  Deer.  I  raised  my 
rifie,  took  a  quick  aim,  fired,  and  the  Cougar  fell  dead. 
For  some  unaccountable  reason,  I  did  not  reload  my  rifie, 
but  quickly  slid  down  the  bank,  taking  my  gun  with  me.  I 
straightened  out  the  Cougar  s  tail;  as  he  was  a  very  large 
one,  I  was  in  the  act  of  pausing  to  get  his  length,  when,  to 


THE   COUGAR.  421 

my  astonishment,  some  fine  bark  fell  on  my  head  and  before 
my  face.  I  turned,  and  on  looking  up  into  an  overhanging 
ash-tree,  there,  crouched  on  a  limb,  not  twenty  feet  away, 
was  the  female  Cougar.  Her  hair  was  all  standing,  like 
that  of  a  mad  cat,  and  her  tail  was  vibrating  from  side  to 
side. 

"I  could  not  i:un,  because  the  brush  and  logs  were  too 
thick.  My  trusty  rifle  was  empty.  I  fixed  my  eyes  on  the 
maddened  brute,  raised  my  powder-horn  to  my  mouth  (this 
was  before  the  breech-loading  rifles  came  into  general  use), 
pulled  out  the  stopper  with  my  teeth,  felt  for  the  muzzle  of 
the  gun,  and  poured  the  powder  in.  When  I  thought  I  had 
plenty,  I  droi)ped  the  horn,  got  a  bullet  from  my  pouch, 
and  ran  it  down  unpatched.  Taking  a  cap  from  my  vest- 
pocket,  I  placed  it  on  the  nipple.  As  I  raised  the  gun,  she 
doubled  over  the  limb.  I  fired  immediately.  As  the  gun 
cracked,  I  jumped  back,  and  the  animal  bounded  through 
the  air  toward  me,  brushing  my  shoulder  as  she  went  past. 
A  man  will  do  a  great  deal  of  thinking,  under  such  circum- 
stances, in  a  very  short  time.  I  thought,  from  the  way  she 
sprung,  that  I  had  missed  her;  but  she  fell  on  the  ground, 
and  did  not  attempt  to  rise  again.  I  was  glad  to  see  her 
lying  dead,  for  I  must  confess  that  I  was  a  little  bit — yes,  a 
great  deal — frightened.  I  had  my  hunting-knife  in  my 
hand,  and  I  was  fully  determined,  had  it  come  to  a  hand-to- 
hand  encounter,  to  sell  my  life  as  dearly  as  possible. ' ' 

Mr.  John  Davis,  of  Snohomish,  was  awakened  one  night 
by  his  hounds  barking  furiously.  From  the  noise  they 
made,  he  knew  that  something  unusual  was  in  the  vicinity; 
so,  taking  his  gun,  he  ran  out,  not  even  stopping  to  dress 
himself.  As  soon  as  the  dogs  saw  him,  they  made  a  rush 
at  some  large  animal,  which  immediately  jumped  over  the 
fence  and  ran  up  the  hill  into  the  woods.  Mr.  Davis  fol- 
lowed swiftly  after,  and  was  soon  delighted  to  hear  the 
dogs  barking  steadily  in  one  place,  as  this  indicated  that 
the  game  had  treed.  Hurrying  along  as  fast  as  the  darkness 
and  the  nature  of  the  ground  would  permit,  he  soon  reached 


422  Bid   GAME   OF    NOllTII    AMERICA. 

the  place  wliere  the  dogs  were.  They  redoubled  their  noise 
when  they  saw  him  approach.  Looking  into  the  top  of  the 
fir-tree  np  which  the  dogs  were  barking,  he  was  able  to  dis- 
cern the  lithe,  tawny  form  of  a  Cougar  stretched  out  upon 
a  limb,  intently  watching  the  dogs  below.  Raising  his  gun, 
he  fired  one  barrel,  aiming  at  the  animal's  shoulder.  This 
shot  seemed  to  have  no  effect;  but  at  the  report  of  the 
second  barrel,  the  Cougar  fell  from  the  tree,  striking  the 
ground  at  his  side.  Instantly  recovering  itself,  the  Cougar 
crouched  and  sprung  at  him,  striking  him  on  the  shoulder 
with  its  chest,  knocking  him  down  and  falling  upon  him. 
At  this  critical  moment,  one  of  his  dogs  seized  the  now 
infuriated  brute  by  a  fore  leg.  Instantly  releasing  its  hold 
on  the  man,  the  Cougar  caught  the  dog  by  the  head,  and 
one  bite  was  sufficient  to  lay  him  struggling  in  death. 

Davis  by  this  time  had  regained  his  feet,  and  the  Cougar, 
dropping  the  dog,  Jumped  at  him  again.  Leaping  aside,  he 
struck  it  with  his  gun,  but  with  no  other  effect  than  to 
break  the  stock  off  the  barrel.  The  brute  turned  and 
sprung  at  him  once  more;  but,  moving  quickly  to  one  side, 
he  eluded  it,  and,  as  it  was  passing  in  the  air,  threw  his  left 
arm  around  its  body  just  behind  its  fore  legs.  Then,  throw- 
ing his  weight  upon  the  animal,  he  forced  it  to  the  ground. 
Instantly  raising  the  gun-barrel  in  his  right  hand,  he  struck 
it  a  terrific  blow  on  the  head,  and  quickly  followed  it  up 
with  another,  and  then  others,  until  he  could  strike  no 
longer,  and  the  Cougar  had  ceased  to  struggle,  and  lay  dead 
beneath  him. 

Strange  to  say,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  scratches, 
Mr.  Davis  was  uninjured;  his  greatest  loss  being  his  new 
sixty -dollar  breech-loader  and  a  suit  of  under-clothing  that 
was  torn  to  shreds  in  the  encounter.  Going  quietly  home, 
he  went  to  bed,  and  did  not  even  mention  the  cause  of  his 
delay  to  his  wife  until  the  next  morning. 

When  he  and  his  neighbors  went  to  the  scene  of  the  fray 
and  skinned  the  Cougar,  it  measured  eleven  feet.  Cougar- 
skins  are  no  curiosity  here — one  can  be  procured  at  any 
time,  almost,  for  a  song;  but  that  Cougar  s  skin  was  cut  into 


THE  COUGAR.  423 

fragments,  every  hunter  in  the  vicinity  claiming  a  piece  as 
a  memento  of  the  strength  and  courage  of  a  brave  man. 

The  following  account  of  a  Cougar-hunt  was  related  to 
me  by  Mr.  L.  L.  Bates,  an  old-time  friend  and  fellow- 
hunter,  for  whose  veracity  many  residents  of  Seattle  and 
vicinity  can  vouch: 

"  It  was  in  the  month  of  March,  1887,"  said  Mr.  Bates, 
"that  I  concluded  to  take  a  cruise  up  Charter's  Creek,  to 
look  for  Beaver-signs.  I  took  my  rifle  and  best  tree-dog. 
Spot,  thinking  I  might  get  some  Bears  or  Fishers  while  on 
my  cruise.  I  had  just  left  the  spruce  timber,  on  tide-land, 
and  had  gained  the  flr  timber,  two  miles  up  from  Gray's 
Harbor,  when  I  came  to  the  carcass  of  an  Elk  lying  in  a 
thicket  of  salmon-bushes  in  a  bend  of  the  creek.  What 
was  left  of  the  Elk  was  carefully  covered  up  with  sticks 
and  grass. 

''  'Cougars,  by  gum!'  I  thought,  out  loud.  I  wanted 
time  to  take  in  the  situation  before  alarming  the  varmints; 
so  the  first  thing  was  to  secure  my  dog  before  he  gathered 
scent  of  the  Cougars.  I  quietly  started  on  my  back  track 
to  where  I  had  last  seen  the  dog. 

"Ah,  here  he  is  I  'Spot,  old  boy,  there's  work  ahead  for 
you.'  As  I  said  this,  I  quickly  slipped  a  collar  on  his  neck 
and  chained  him  to  a  small  tree.  I  took  off  my  coat  and 
threw  it  near  him,  for  I  knew  he  would  stay  quiet  while  he 
had  something  of  mine  to  watch.  I  then  retraced  my  steps, 
and  began  a  careful  examination  of  the  dead  Elk  and  every- 
thing about  it.  I  soon  made  up  my  mind  that  there  were 
two  full-grown  Cougars  in  the  scheme,  as  there  were  sev 
eral  fresh  beds  near  by,  in  pairs,  and  a  well-beaten  trail 
from  the  carcass  down  to  the  water,  where  they  had  sev- 
eral times  gone  to  drink. 

"  I  had  two  more  good  dogs  at  camj),  and  for  a  moment 
I  considered  whether  I  liad  better  go  back  and  get  them,  or 
whether  to  try  the  fight  with  old  Spot  alone.  It  would 
take  me  three  hours  to  go  for  the  dogs  and  get  ])ack.  While 
I  was  gone,  the  Cougars  might  come  around,  get  my  scent, 


424  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

and  skip  out.  In  that  case  the  dogs  might  follow  them  out 
of  my  hearing  before  treeing  them,  and  there  would  be  a 
failure.  (You  must  remember  that  is  a  rougli,  hilly  coun- 
try back  of  Gray's  Harbor,  with  a  great  deal  of  under- 
brush.) To  try  it  with  one  dog,  I  knew  would  be  danger- 
ous for  him,  for  a  Cougar  will  sometimes  turn  on  a  single 
dog.  In  that  case  I  would  very  likely  lose  my  dog.  But  I 
finally  decided  to  take  the  chances,  and  try  it  with  one  dog. 
If  I  failed,  and  lost  him,  I  still  had  the  chance  left  of  get- 
ting the  other  dogs  and  making  another  run. 

"I  examined  what  was  left  of  the  dead  Elk.  It  had 
been  a  large  cow,  heavy  with  calf.  The  Cougars  had  prob- 
ably followed  her  a  long  time,  watching  for  a  good  chance  to 
light  on  her.  This  chance  came  when  the  cow  went  in  on 
this  narrow  point  of  land  to  feed  on  the  salmon-brush. 
The  banks  of  the  creek  are  about  eight  feet  high,  and  per- 
pendicular. 

'"In  my  mind,  I  went  over  again  the  desperate  struggles 
of  this  noble  old  cow  for  life,  against  big  odds;  how  the 
sneaking  Cougars,  with  their  cruel  eyes  gleaming,  had  both 
sprung  at  once  from  a  log  near  by.  Yes,  there  were  their 
claw-marks,  plain  as  day,  in  that  log;  and  here  the  bushes 
were  trampled  down,  and  the  ground  covered  with  blood, 
showing  plainly  the  death-struggles  of  the  poor  Elk.  These 
two  Cougars,  I  learned  by  stepping  tlie  distance,  had 
cleared  just  twenty-six  feet  in  that  fatal  leap,  from  the  log 
on  which  they  rested  to  where  the  Elk  stood  when  they 
struck  her.  '  Y^es,  Spot,  you  and  I  will  do  our  best  to  bring 
those  two  blood-thirsty  brutes  to  their  death;  and  it  will  be 
a  great  comfort  to  see  them  stretched  out  dead,  after  they 
have  slaughtered  such  a  noble  beast  as  this.  And  if  we 
don't  take  home  a  couple  of  Cougar-scali)s,  it  will  be 
because  you  don't  put  them  uj)  a  tree  soon  enough.' 

''The  signs  indicated  that  the  Cougars  were  up  tlie  creek 
from  where  the  Elk  lay,  and  I  knew  they  could  not  be  far 
off;  foi',  like  an  Indian,  a  Cougar  always  wants  to  lie  down 
and  slee])  wlicn  he  gets  his  belly  full.  '  Now.  old  dog,  if 
you'll  keep  still  till  we  get  near  them,  they  will  tree  soon; 


THE   COUGAR.  425 

but  if  you  bay  them  on  a  cold  trail,  they  will  get  a  long 
start,  and  give  you  a  long  run.  Then  I  could  not  keep  in 
heai'ing,  and  we  would  never  get  them.' 

"I  had  now  gone  down,  got  my  dog,  and  come  back  up. 
As  I  glanced  over  the  evidences  of  that  fearful  struggle 
again,  I  was  more  than  ever  anxious  to  kill  those  skulking 
Cougars.  I  tied  a  string  around  the  dog's  jaws,  so  that  he 
couldn't  give  tongue,  and  held  him  on  the  chain  until  he 
got  the  trail  fresh.  All  question  as  to  the  varmints  being 
near  was  soon  removed.  It  would  have  done  you  good  to 
see  that  dog.  He  rolled,  tumbled,  and  pawed  at  that  string 
on  his  jaws,  worse  than  a  mad  cat.  'I  guess  this  sign's 
fresh  enough,'  I  thought,  out  loud;  so  I  loosed  the  collar, 
cut  the  string,  and  the  dog  was  off  as  if  he  had  been  shot 
out  of  a  gun.  And  when  he  went  out  of  sight  in  the 
bushes,  every  hair  on  his  back  stood  straight  up  like  porcu- 
pine-quills. 

' '  I  followed  with  the  best  speed  I  could  make  in  the 
brush  and  over  the  down  timber.  As  luck  would  have  it, 
the  dog  never  said  a  word  for  about  three  minutes.  Then 
there  was  music.  He  let  out  the  blamedest  string  of  yells 
I  ever  heard  from  one  dog  in  my  life.  It  lasted  for  only 
about  two  minutes,  when  the  yelling  ceased,  and  I  heard 
the  welcome  ooli !  ooh  I  ooh  ! 

"  'Yes,  they've  treed,  sure  as  I'm  alive,  and  they  must 
have  gone  up  the  nearest  tree  to  their  bed  I'  Former  experi- 
ence with  Cougars  had  taught  me  to  make  as  little  noise  as 
jjossible  when  approaching  them  in  a  tree,  as  they  are  liable 
to  jump  where  there  is  but  one  dog,  and  make  off.  I  crept 
np  cautiously,  and  coming  in  sight  of  the  hemlock-tree  up 
which  the  dog  was  barking,  saw  a  large  Cougar  about  fifteen 
feet  above  the  ground.  His  ears  were  laid  back  flat  on  his 
head,  and  his  long  tail  was  nervouslj^  twisting  about. 

"  I  didn't  stop  to  look  for  the  other  one,  as  one  Cougar 
at  a  time  is  enough  for  me.  In  a  moment  I  had  the  sights 
of  my  rifle  in  line  with  the  butt  of  his  ear,  and  when  I 
pressed  the  trigger  he  sprung  at  least  six  feet  in  the  air,  and 
came  down  dead.     Ashe  struck  the  ground,  I  saw  a  yellow 


426  BIG  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

flash  in  the  air,  and  the  dead  Cougar's  mate  left  the  same 
tree,  a  little  higher  up,  and  with  a  bold  leap  struck  the 
ground  thirty  feet  away. 

'•  I  started  the  dog  on  the  track  of  this  one,  and  followed 
up  the  chase.  The  Cougar  took  to  the  hill-side.  I  had  just 
succeeded  in  forcing  my  way  through  a  mass  of  salmon- 
brush,  and  had  got  upon  a  log  that  lay  in  the  edge  of  a  fern- 
opening,  where  I  could  see  a  hundred  yards  u^)  the  hill;  the 
dog  and  Cougar  had  disappeared  in  the  brush  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  oi)ening,  when  I  was  dazed  at  seeing  a  white- 
and-black  object  coming  through  the  ferns  toward  me  with 
the  velocity  of  an  arrow.  'What  in  thunder  is  it?'  I 
thought,  out  loud.  '  My  dog?  My  noble  dog!  Now,  brave 
Saxon,  hold  thy  nerve  and  defend  thy  friend.  A  cool  head, 
a  steady  hand,  and  you  may,  by  good  fortune,  save  your 
dog  I '  These  thoughts  had  but  just  flashed  through  my 
frenzied  brain  when  I  discovered  the  Cougar  vaulting  in 
mid-air.  Two  more  leaps  like  that,  and  good-bye  old  dog ! 
As  the  varmint  raised  in  the  air  the  next  time,  the  rej)ort 
of  my  rifle  waked  the  echoes  of  the  forest. 

"  'O,  you  mutton-head  !  made  a  clean  miss  —  danged  if 
you  didn't  I '  The  next  bound,  and  the  Cougar  fell  upon  my 
dog.  One  muffled  yell,  and  all  was  over  with  poor  Spot ! 
The  Cougar  had  crushed  his  skull  with  one  grasj)  of  his 
mighty  jaws. 

"Again  my" rifle  was  leveled;  but  what  strange  movements 
are  these  ?  The  Cougar  has  straightened  out  on  the  ground 
near  my  dog.  Wliat,  dead?  Yes,  dead;  and,  on  examina- 
tion, 1  found  that  my  bullet  had  passed  through  her  heart, 
coming  out  at  the  flftli  rib !  And  that  Cougar  killed  my  dog 
after  receiving  that  shot !  She  measured  eight  feet  from  tip 
of  nose  to  tip  of  tail,  and  would  have  weighed  fully  one 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds;  while  the  male  Cougar — the 
one  killed  from  the  tree — ^was  the  flnest  specimen  I  have 
ever  seen,  measuring  ten  feet  one  inch  in  length. 

"Poor  old  Spot  I  He  died  while  retreating  from  the 
enemy;  but  I  never  blamed  him.  I  have  never  known  a 
single  dog  to  stand  a  rush  like  that. 


THE  -COUGAR. 


427 


"At  the  root  of  a  hemlock- tree  I  dug  a  shallow  grave, 
and  covered  the  poor  old  dog  with  earth  and  rocks;  and  as 
the  summers  come  and  go,  may  their  softest  breezes  sigh  his 
requiem." 


THE  LYNX. 


By  J.  C.  Nattrass. 

^HE  Lynx  family,  though  closely  resembling  the  rest 

of  the  Cat  tribe,  are  distinguished  from  their  feline 

relatives — the  Cougar,  or  Puma,  Leopard,  Jaguar, 

'^i      domestic  and  Pampas  Cat— by  their  erect,  sharply 

pointed,  tufted,  and  penciled  ears,  and  an  abbreviated  tail. 

Their  habits  and  methods  of  hunting  are  similar  to  those 

of  the  Cougar. 

There  are  four  varieties  of  Lynx  common  to  the  United 
States,  or  at  least  to  the  Northern  Continent,  South  America 
having  none.  The  Canada  Lynx,  being  the  largest  and  best 
known,  will  receive  the  bulk  of  our  attention  in  this  paper. 
Besides  the  Canada  Lynx,  we  have  the  Catamount,  the 
American  Wildcat,  and  the  Red  Cat.  The  entire  Lyncean 
group  embraces — 

The  European  Lynx Lynx  Virgatus. 

The  Southern,  or  Pardine  Lynx Lynx  Pardinus. 

The  Booted  Lynx Lynx  Caligatus. 

The  Caracal Caracal  Melanotia. 

The  Chans Chans  Lybieus. 

The  Canada  Lynx Lynx  Canadensis. 

The  American  Wildcat Lynx  Rufus. 

The  Red  Cat Lynx  Fasciatus. 

The  Catamount Lynx  Macitlatus. 

The  European  and  Canada  Lynx  closely  resemble  each 
other.  The  European  is  a  native  of  Europe  and  Asia.  Its 
color  is  dark-gray,  tinted  with  red;  has  a  few  large,  spotted 
patches  on  body,  and  many  small  blotches  on  limbs. 

The  Southern  Lynx  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the 
group,  having  a  beautiful,  heavy,  ruddy-chestnut  fur,  cov- 
ered with  Leopard-like  spots.  It  is  a  native  of  Sardinia, 
Portugal,  Spain,  and  other  southern  countries. 

(420) 


430  BIG   GAMK  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

The  Booted  Lynx  —so  named  because  of  the  deep-black 
coloring  of  the  lower  part  of  its  legs — is  of  a  reddish-tawny 
hue  of  deep  gray,  spotted  with  black  hairs,  tlie  legs  being 
striped,  Avell  uj),  with  brown;  there  are  two  brown  stripes 
on  each  side  of  the  face.  It  is  a  native  of  India,  Africa, 
Asia,  Egypt,  and  Barbary. 

The  Caracal  has  an  extremely  short  tail.  Its  color  is  a 
reddish,  pale  brown,  darker  on  back  than  under  parts, 
spotted  slightly  with  reddish  or  black  spots;  lips  and 
chin  white;  ears  black.  It  is  a  native  of  Asia,  Africa, 
India,  Arabia,  Nubia,  Egypt,  Barbary,  the  Cape,  and  has 
a  very  wide  range.  The  Caracal  is  an  active,  lithe  animal, 
though  not  large,  seldom  if  ever  exceeding  thirty  pounds 
in  weight.  It  bears  the  reputation  of  being  the  most 
morose,  surly,  and  untamable  of  all  the  group. 

The  Chans  is  darker  on  the  back  than  sides,  being  of  a 
tawny  hue,  with  black-tipped  hairs  scattered  over  the  fur, 
forming  rings  on  the  tail  and  stripes  on  the  body  and 
limbs;  tip  of  tail  is  black;  the  cheeks  are  white,  and  a 
white  spot  is  under  each  eye.  It  inhabits  the  shores  of  the 
Caspian  Sea,  Persia,  India,  Asia,  and  Africa. 

The  American  Wildcat,  though  exterminated  in  many 
sections,  was  formerly  found  over  nearly  all  of  the  North 
American  Continent.  The  tail  of  the  Wildcat  is  its  chief 
distinguishing  feature,  being  short  and  rather  bushy.  It 
stands  somewhat  higher  on  its  legs,  and  has  a  coarser  and 
rougher  head,  than  the  domestic  cat.  Climatic  changes 
cause  a  variation  in  color  in  different  localities,  which  is 
usually  a  yellowish  or  sandy  gray;  body  and  limbs  striped 
with  dark  streaks,  similar  to  those  of  the  Tiger,  running  at 
right-angles  with  the  line  of  the  body  and  limbs;  the 
spine  is  striped  with  a  dark  chain  of  streaks;  the  tail  has 
a  black  tip  and  dark  rings.  The  fur  is  rather  heavy  and 
thick.  The  adult  measures  two  to  three  feet  in  length, 
including  tail,  which  is  barely  half  the  length  of  the  body. 
Its  home  is  found  among  caves,  clefts  of  rocks,  hollow  tree- 
trunks,  or  even  in  the  nest  of  a  large  bird.  It  brings  forth 
from  one  to  live  kittens  at  a  litter. 


THE   LYXX.  431 

The  Catamount  common  to  California,  Arizoha,  Mexico, 
and  Texas  is  similar  to  the  other  varieties,  excepting  that 
it  has  longer  ears  and  dark  lines  along  the  sides  of  the 
neck. 

The  Red  Cat  is  also  similar,  and  has  a  very  heavy  and 
soft  coat;  the  back  being  of  a  rich  chestnut-brown. 

The  Canada  Lynx  is  the  largest  and  heaviest  of  all 
American  species.  It  has  larger  feet  and  limbs;  the  neck 
has  a  pointed  ruff  on  each  side;  tail  short,  well  covered 
with  fur;  claws  strong  and  white. 

In  some  climates  the  color  is  almost  white,  but  is  usually 
a  dark-gray,  tinged  wdth  chestnut,  the  limbs  being  darker 
than  the  body.  Back  and  elbow-joints  are  mottled,  blotched 
■with  large,  indistinct  blotches  of  darker  color— hairs  white 
at  extremities;  ears  tufted,  and  penciled  at  the  tips  with 
black.  The  feet  being  large,  and  limbs  pow^erful  and  well 
clothed  with  hair,  give  the  animal  a  general  aspect  of 
clumsiness. 

When  leaping  over  the  ground,  as  it  does  in  a  series  of 
successive  bounds,  with  back  arched,  the  tail  so  short  as  to 
be  almost  indiscernible,  it  presents  altogether  a  quaint, 
weird  appearance,  which  has  been  described  by  many 
hunters  and  backwoodsmen  as  laughable  and  peculiar  in  the 
extreme^some  of  them  imagining  it  to  resemble  a  ghost; 
but  how  a  ghost  really  does  look,  in  life  or  death,  is  more 
than  I  can  conjecture,  never  having  seen  one. 

The  Canada  Lynx  is  not  very  tenacious  of  life— a  slight 
blow  on  the  back,  or  base  of  the  skull,  with  a  club,  or  a  shot 
from  a  small-caliber  rifle,  being  sufficient  to  readily  kill 
him. 

As  accuracy  in  a  rifle  is  the  main  desideratum,  the  small- 
bores  are  preferable  as  weapons  for  hunting  the  Lynx,  he 
being  an  extremely  wary  and  timid  animal,  and  possessing 
the  faculty  of  concealment  to  a  wonderful  degree.  He  will, 
like  the  Cougar,  hide  himself  on  a  small  limb,  flattening 
himself  out  thereon  so  that  he  is  almost  concealed;  and  only 
the  most  vigilant  and  well-trained  eye  can  discover  him. 
His  coat  closely  resembling,  in  color,  his  hiding-place,  he  is 


432  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

frequently  passed  by,  even  when  searched  for  by  a  keen  and 
penetrating  eye.  The  surface  presented  for  the  sight  to 
cover  is  a  small  one,  and  the  more  accurate  the  weapon, 
the  surer  the  kill. 

I  would  recommend  a  38-caliber  Winchester  repeater  for 
hunting  this  animal.  The  32-40  is  an  excellent  arm  for  the 
purpose,  so  far  as  it  goes,  but  I  dislike  a  single-shot  rifle  in 
the  woods.  Use  a  repeater,  by  all  means.  For  sights,  I 
prefer  either  the  Winchester  or  Lyman  ivory  bead  front 
sight,  and  the  open  rear  notch  sight. 

A  white  front  sight  has  a  great  advantage  over  any  other 
in  heavy  and  thick  timber,  where  semi-darkness  often  reigns 
supreme,  as  the  white  bead  will  here  loom  up  conspicuously 
against  the  fur  of  the  crouching  animal. 

A  bead  taken,  if  possible,  an  inch  above  and  exactly 
between  the  eyes,  will,  if  the  hunter  hold  right,  insure  him 
no  waste  of  ammunition,  very  little  noise — and  consequent 
scaring  of  other  game — and  a  handsome  pelt,  which  is 
always  sought  after  and  paid  liberally  for,  if  properly 
cured.  This  shot  also  insures  an  instantaneous  kill,  which  is 
always  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  the  true  hunter.  If 
such  a  shot  be  not  presented,  a  bead  taken  behind  the 
shoulder,  well  down  toward  the  brisket,  or  one  taken  along 
the  spine,  will  be  almost  equally  fatal;  but  no  spot  can  you 
strike  which  will  cause  a  more  instant  death  than  the  first- 
mentioned. 

The  Lynx  exceeds  three  feet  in  length  when  developed, 
and  I  have  seen  specimens  that  weighed  sixty  pounds;  forty 
pounds,  however,  is  a  fair  average.  He  is  a  splendid  swim- 
mer—rapid  in  his  movements —his  broad,  heavy  limbs  giving 
him  great  power  and  sjjeed  in  the  water.  The  dog  that  can 
keep  within  hailing-distance  of  this  big  cat,  in  the  river  or 
in  the  lake,  must  be  a  hustler,  and  no  mistake. 

I  once  saw  a  good- sized  specimen  take  to  the  water,  in 
Lake  Leman,  in  British  Columbia,  when  hard  pressed  by 
our  dogs,  and  swim  clear  across  the  lake,  which  is  about  a 
mile  wide.  He  speedily. left  the  dogs  far  behind,  and  would 
have  escaped  up  the  other  bank  but  for  a  stray  bullet  which 


THE   LYXX.  433 

struck  him  between  the  ears.  The  French  colonists  desig- 
nate him  as  the  Pecsho,  or  Le  Chat.  The  Indians  of  the 
Northwest  call  him  the  Tenas-Puss-Puss.  The  home  of  the 
Lynx  is  found  among  the  rocks,  caves,  and  hollow  tree- 
trunks.  The  female  brings  forth  from  one  to  four  kittens, 
usually  in  April. 

The  principal  food  of  the  Lynx  is  the  rabbit,  or  cotton- 
tail, small  birds  and  animals  of  all  kinds.  He  affects  the 
heads  of  the  grouse  in  particular.  A  small  Deer  is  a  much- 
cherished  dainty.  The  Cougar  contributes  unwittingly  in 
keeping  his  cousin's  larder  supplied  with  Deer,  sheep,  pigs, 
and  beef.  What  the  Cougar  leaves  carefully  hidden  away 
in  a  secure  place  for  future  reference,  the  Lynx  as  carefully 
unearths  and  feasts  upon. 

The  Lynx  has  been  known  to  associate  with  the  domestic 
cat.  A  beautiful  specimen  of  the  latter  lies  on  my  rug  at 
the  present  writing,  whose  grandfather  on  the  mother's  side 
is  believed  to  have  been  a  full-blood  Lynx.  The  specimen 
in  question  shows  all  the  markings  of  her  grandfather 
except  the  tufted  and  penciled  ears  and  the  heavy  limbs. 
She  is  a  gentle,  affectionate,  and  intelligent  animal.  The 
children  can  tease  her  with  impunity;  but  game  must  never 
be  allowed  near  her,  for  when  her  teeth  close  on  a  game  bird, 
her  wild  instincts  are  aroused.  She  is  then  a  fury,  and  will 
fight  to  the  death. 

While  cleaning  some  grouse  one  day,  several  of  them 
being  laid  out  on  the  table,  she  came  purring  uj),  rubbing 
her  arched  back  caressingly  against  my  knee,  when  she 
got  her  eyes  on  the  birds.  She  seized  one  in  her  teeth,  and 
started  to  make  off  witii  it  to  the  bushes.  I  seized  her  by 
the  tail  and  attempted  to  take  the  bird  from  her,  when  all 
her  wild  instincts  sprung  into  instant  play.  Her  fur 
turned  the  wrong  way,  her  tail  bushed  out,  her  sharp, 
white  claws  were  displayed,  while  her  eyes  blazed  with 
fury.  Fighting  like  a  demon,  she  clung  to  the  grouse 
with  her  sharp  teeth.  I  became  thoroughly  indignant, 
lifted  her  aloft,  and  banged  her  down  on  a  log  with  consid- 
«erable  force;  so  heartily,  indeed,  that  the  pheasant  rolled 

28 


434  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

into  the  bushes.  After  the  trouble  was  all  over,  she  calmed 
down  into  the  same  old  serene  and  complacent,  purring 
pussy,  sliowing  no  malice — in  fact,  seeming  to  forget  all 
about  the  matter. 

Her  mother  is  the  property  of  Mr.  Perry,  the  renowned 
sportsman,  and  my  esteemed  friend  and  hunting  companion, 
or  ''Sillalicum,"'  as  we  say  here  in  the  Northwest.  The 
mother  has  a  short,  thick  tail,  not  over  three  inches  long, 
and  she  is  similar  to  all  other  house-cats  in  disx)osition  and 
looks,  but  is  much  stronger — in  fact,  slie  is  a  great  lighter, 
and  thrashes  everything  in  the  cat  or  dog  line  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. She  is  a  wonderful  ratter,  and  is  withal  very  shy. 
She  will  make  friends  with  no  one  but  her  master.  Some  of 
her  kittens  have  the  regular  short  tail  of  the  Lynx,  while 
others  have  a  longer  one;  but  none  have  as  long  a  tail  as  the 
common  house-cat.  Their  heads  also  have  a  wilder  and 
coarser  look.  They  are  all  gray,  with  stripes  on  the  body 
and  limbs;  black-tipped  and  black-ringed  tails.  In  size  they 
are  a  little  larger  than  the  ordinaiy  domestic  puss. 

Mary  Perry,  unlike  most  ladies,  was  not  in  the  least 
timid.  Refined,  educated,  a  popular  writer,  she  was,  like 
her  brother,  a  good  hunter,  and  loved  the  gun.  She  was 
afraid  of  no  animal  that  ever  skulked  in  an  American  forest. 
She  knew  the  habits  of  all  the  game  in  the  neighborhood — 
knew  where  to  find  a  covey  of  grouse,  a  fiock  of  mallards, 
a  herd  of  Deer,  a  Cultus  Bear,  or  a  Cougar;  and  knew  how 
to  kill  them,  too. 

While  walking  with  her  mother  one  day,  on  a  visit  to  a 
neighbor,  her  hound.  Prince,  put  a  Lynx  into  a  tree  some 
distance  from  the  trail.  Hastening  in  to  where  the  dog 
stood  barking,  and  bidding  her  mother  stay  and  watch  the 
dog  and  Lyijx,  she  hastened  back  to  the  house,  got  her 
light,  twelve-gauge  gun,  and  hurried  back  into  the  woods 
where  her  mother  and  tlie  hound  were  on  guard.  Lying  on 
a  limb,  blinking,  snarling,  and  spitting  at  the  dog,  was  the 
ugly  creature.  Raising  her  gun  to  her  face,  Mary  took  a 
steady  aim  and  pressed  the  trigger.     The  gun  flashed,  the 


THE   LYNX.  435 

entire  charge  entered  the  head  of  the  Lynx,  and  it  tumbled 
to  the  ground,  stone-dead.  Prince  stood  there  with  danc- 
ing eyes,  quivering  limbs,  and  open  jaws.  He  s^orung  upon. 
th<'  limp  carcass  and  shook  it  to  his  heart's  content.  Then 
his  mistress  cariied  her  trophy  home  in  triumph. 

The  Lynx  measured  three  feet  and  a  half  in  length  from 
tij)  to  tip,  weighed  thirty -eight  pounds,  and  was  a  beauti- 
ful specimen.  Such  a  powerful  animal,  if  it  were  to  turn 
its  full  strength  and  its  natural  weapons  against  the  most 
powerful  man,  could  make  short  work  of  him,  if  unarmed. 
Though  usually  considered  harmless,  the  Ljtix  is  a  most 
powerful  brute.  No  dog  can  match  him.  He  can  tear  the 
strongest  and  fiercest  dog  into  shreds  in  a  few  seconds,  if 
he  choose  to  fight.  Nor  is  he  as  cowardly  as  the  Cougar; 
many  old  hunters  considering  him  more  to  be  feared  than 
the  latter. 

Two  young  lads,  Ernest.  Holmes  and  Tom  Berry,  while 
passing  through  a  neighbor's  ranch  with  their  sheep-dog, 
Rover,  had  their  attention  drawn  to  the  dog's  antics. 
Rover,  after  circling  through  the  timber  some  moments,  at 
last  settled  down  to  trail  some  animal  which  had  passed 
some  time  before.  He  soon  opened  up,  and  barking  wildly, 
disappeared  along  the  banks  of  a  creek.  The  boys  followed, 
and  the  barking  at  last  seeming  to  locate  in  a  bunch  of  vine 
maples.  They  rushed  in,  and  saw  a  large  animal  perched 
about  five  feet  from  the  ground,  on  a  swaying  saj^ling 
within  their  reach. 

They  had  no  w^eapons  other  than  their  penknives,  and 
so,  knowing  no  danger,  attacked  the  Lynx— for  such  it 
proved  to  be — with  these.  They  could  just  reach  the  brute 
by  standing  on  their  tiptoes.  First  one,  then  the  other 
boy,  would  reach  up  and  stab  the  Lynx  in  the  back  and 
limbs,  bringing  the  blood  in  many  streams.  So  heartily 
did  they  jylj  their  knives,  that  the  beast  soon  loosened  its 
grij)  on  the  stunted  max3le  and  fell  to  the  ground,  half-dead 
from  loss  of  blood.  The  dog  seized  him  by  the  throat,  and 
soon  choked  the  life  out  of  him.     His  coat  was  literally  cut 


436  BIG   GAME   OF   XOKTII   AMERICA. 

to  pieces  by  the  boys'  knives.     He  was  a  little  over  two  feet 
in  length,  and  weighed  twenty-eight  pounds, 

A  certain  ranchman's  hen-roost  having  been  sadly 
dex^leted  by  the  inroads  of  some  nocturnal  visitor  for  sev- 
eral weeks,  his  Teutonic  blood  at  last  became  aroused,  and 
he  declared  that  the  varmint  that  had  been  so  unlawfully 
depriving  him  of  his  chickens  had  to  go — and  that  suddenly. 
The  ranchman  had  noticed  sundry  large  and  cat-like  tracks 
around  the  roost  every  morning,  and  decided  that  the 
poacher  was  a  Lynx.  Knowing  the  habits  and  resorts  of 
the  varmint  thoroughly,  Hank  sat  u})  several  nights  in  suc- 
cession, with  his  old  musket  heavily  loaded  with  powder 
and  coarse  shot;  but  in  vain.  The  Lynx  failed  to  appear 
while  the  owner  of  the  poultry  was  on  guard.  Weary  with 
his  vigils,  Hank  turned  in  at  dark  the  next  night,  leaving 
his  hens  unprotected.  On  the  following  morning  a  fresh 
trail  was  discovered,  and  another  hen  was  missing.  Hank 
was  thoroughly  disgusted,  and  vowed  that  he  would  not 
sleep  again  till  the  marauder  had  been  summarily  dealt 
with.  Calling  in  several  of  his  neighbors,  who  also  had 
suffered  by  the  depredations  of  the  rascal,  a  solemn  pow- 
wow and  council  of  w^ar  was  held;  it  being  ultimately 
decided  that  the  entire  outht  encamj;)  on  his  trail  till 
death,  most  cruel  and  violent,  should  be  meted  out  to  him. 

Several  good  hunting-dogs  being  mustered,  the  outfit 
took  up  the  fresh  trail,  near  Hank's  hen-house.  A  slight 
flurry  of  snow  had  lately  fallen,  which  aided  their  designs 
materially.  The  dogs  were  taken  to  the  tracks,  and  after 
snuffing  around  suspiciously,  the  leader  took  up  the  trail, 
and  the  entire  pack  followed.  They  struck  up  a  musical 
shout,  each  dog  in  his  own  individual  key;  some  loud,  some 
sharp,  some  deej).  but  each  doing  his  or  her  best.  The  dogs 
were  eagerly  followed  by  the  relentless  and  blood-thirsty 
poultry -owners. 

They  crossed  the  young  orchard,  plunged  into  the  thick 
timber  on  the  other  side,  making  for  the  upland  and  green 
timber^  where  the  dogs  apparently  lost  the  trail;  but  the 


THE   LYNX.  437 

old  leader  soon  recovered  it,  and  the  wild  refrain  again 
went  forth.  Doubling  back,  they  returned  to  the  lake, 
passed  along  the  shore  for  some  three  hundred  yards,  and 
then  went  into  the  thick  timber  again.  Then  they  went 
direct  to  and  across  the  Canadian  boundary-line,  and  were 
on  British  soil.  Lake  Leman  was  soon  reached  and  left 
behind,  the  timber  growing  thicker  and  denser,  the  under- 
growth more  difficult  to  penetrate,  till  even  the  dogs  could 
scarce  get  through.  A  halt  was  called,  and  refreshments 
partaken  of.  A  short  rest,  and  again  the  party  started 
forth,  with  renewed  vigor. 

After  doubling  and  running,  walking  and  tumbling — 
after  a  great  deal  of  profanity  had  been  indulged  in — the 
hunters  began  to  fear  they  would  not  be  able  to  overtake 
the  Lynx  before  sundown.  But  at  last  the  dogs  stopi^ed 
beneath  a  tree,  howling,  yelling,  and  roaring.  The  hunters 
knew  then  that  the  end  was  not  far  off — that  the  Lynx  was 
treed;  and  hastening  into  the  thick  undergrowth  where  the 
dogs  were,  they  began  to  scan  the  limbs  of  the  tree.  There, 
sure  enough,  was  a  big  brindled  fellow,  tired,  spiritless,  and 
half -dead  from  his  long  run.  He  crouched  against  a  limb, 
evidently  hoping  to  escape  being  seen  by  the  hunters.  But 
no,  nothing  can  esca^^e  their  keen,  experienced  eyes,  and 
the  loads  from  six  or  seven  guns  are  simultaneously  emjDtied 
into  him.  He  comes  down  with  a  thump  among  the  dogs, 
stone-dead,  riddled  with  all  kinds  of  leaden  missiles,  from 
BB  shot  to  forty-five-caliber  bullets.  The  dogs  lit  into  him 
and  shook  him  till  he  was  a  shapeless  mass,  and  then  all 
returned  home  in  great  glee. 

The  Lynx  is  easily  trapped;  a  rabbit  placed  in  a  snare  or 
ordinary  trap,  or  attached  to  the  trigger  of  a  spring-gun,  will 
often  result  in  the  death  of  one  of  their  number.  Finding 
the  track  of  a  Lynx  in  the  snow,  while  shooting  ducks  on  a 
creek,  and  being  desirous  of  caj)turing  him,  I  hurried  home, 
returning  with  a  strong  Fox- trap,  having  powerful  springs 
and  sharp,  heavy  teeth.  I  set  it  in  the  trail,  at  a  x^lace  that 
was  much  tracked  up  and  tramped  upon.     There  were  also 


438  BIG    GAME    OK    XOKTII    AMEHICA. 

particles  of  fur,  showing  where  the  Lynx  had  evidently  tar- 
ried quite  often,  this  being  in  a  secluded,  out-of-the-way 
gulch. 

Setting  the  trap  on  the  ground,  I  covered  it  loosely  over 
with  snow,  and  hung  a  dead  rabbit  above  the  trap  some 
three  feet,  tying  it  securely  to  a  vine  maple,  in  such  position 
that  the  Lynx  would  be  compelled  to  step  on  the  trap  to  get 
at  the  rabbit.  Returning  home,  I  repaired  to  the  trap  again 
toward  sundown  the  following  day.  On  approaching  the 
trap,  I  discovered  my  victim  securely  held  by  a  fore  foot, 
the  leg  being  much  lacerated,  as,  not  relishing  his  imprison- 
ment, he  had  tried  to  pull  his  big  paw  bodily  therefrom.  A 
blow  of  a  stick  on  his  spine  soon  ended  his  sufferings. 

In  regions  much  frequented  by  Lynx,  an  iuclosure  some- 
times is  built,  to  keep  out  the  rancher's  or  Indian's  dog,  and 
to  apprise  the  hunter  of  the  danger  within,  and  a  steel- 
trap,  spring-gun,  or  pitfall  prepared,  baited  with  a  rabbit, 
grouse,  or  small  bird — the  inclosure  being  visited  at  inter- 
vals to  ascertain  results.  Many  trappers  have  a  series  of 
such  inclosures  and  traps,  which  they  visit,  one  after  the 
other,  each  day.  A  Bear-trap  is  set  on  a  run  where  a  Bear 
travels  in  search  of  salmon;  a  Beaver-trap  is  placed  in  a 
swamp,  slough,  or  other  place  where  the  Beaver  makes  his 
home  and  has  his  dam;  one  or  more  trajDs  being  set  in 
sections  of  the  woods  traversed  by  the  Lynx,  Wildcat,  or 
Cougar. 


•o*^ 


While  hunting  Deer  in  the  Cascade  Range,  and  on  our 
second  day  out,  we  wounded  a  fine  buck.  We  followed  his 
trail  for  several  hours,  blood  being  liberally  sprinkled  all 
along  it.  AVlien  almost  up  to  where  we  expected  to  find  him, 
certain  feline  tracks,  following  the  Deer's,  attracted  our 
attention.  Believing  them  to  be  those  made  by  the  Mount- 
ain Lion,  we  carefully  concealed  ourselves  in  the  brush, 
listening  intently  for  the  faintest  sound  ahead.  Hearing 
nothing,  we  advanced  cautiously  and  silently  through  the 
thick  timber,  great  care  being  taken  to  step  upon  no  twig 
or  broken  limb,    nor  to  cause  the   slightest  sound.      Our 


THE  LYXX.  439 

breathing  almost  suspended,  we  advanced  upon  the  thicket 
where  we  expected  our  game  to  lay. 

The  thicket  was  finally  gained,  an  opening  ahead  dis- 
closed— a  crawl  on  hands  and  knees  bringing  us  to  a  huge 
tree-trunk.  Then  another  is  gained;  a  close  survey  ahead, 
and  from  behind  the  tree,  with  rifles  carefully  held  at  a 
"ready,'"  a  scene  met  our  eyes  that  we  shall  never  forget. 

There  lay  our  big  buck  fast  breathing  his  last,  the  blood 
spurting  from  a  ghastly  wound  in  his  neck,  while  black, 
clotted  blood  trickled  down  from  each  slender  nostril  to  the 
velvet  forest  carpet  ilpon  which  he  lay  stretched.  At  his 
side,  with  sharp,  white  fangs  buried  deep  in  his  flesh,  was  a. 
big  Gray  Lynx.  One  huge  x)aw  rested  upon  the  dying  Deer' s 
side,  the  cruel,  white  claws  tearing  through  hair,  flesh,  and 
sinew.  So  busily  engaged  was  the  Lynx  on  the  Deer,  that 
he  stopped  to  notice  nothing  else,  his  only  object  appearing 
to  be  to  get  on  the  outside  of  the  largest  possible  amount  of 
venison  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

From  the  side  he  sprung  again  to  the  throat.  At  this 
instant  two  rifles  cracked.  The  smoke,  hanging  heavily 
upon  the  still  atmosphere  of  the  forest,  for  a  brief  interval 
obscured  our  view.  We  rushed  forward,  with  rifles  ready, 
and  trained  upon  the  spot  where  lay  the  Lynx.  But  no 
muscle  quivers;  the  breath  has  left  his  body;  he  is  dead,  cut 
down  so  suddenly  his  last  breath  went  out  with  teeth  deeply 
set  in  the  Deer' s  neck. 

The  Lynx  is  seldom  hunted  systematically,  as  are  the 
Deer,  Elk,  Bear,  and  other  game  animals,  unless  it  be  by 
professional  hunters  or  trappers,  who  value  him  for  his 
pelt.  With  them,  the  usual  method  is  to  hunt  him  with 
dogs  trained  to  follow  the  trail  by  scent.  In  other  cases, 
his  track  is  followed  through  the  snow,  by  the  eye,  by  a 
party  of  hunters,  who,  when  starting  out,  must  be  prepared 
to  make  a  long,  hard  tramp  of  many  hours,  or  possibly  sev-. 
eral  days.  I  have  known  a  party,  who  wanted  a  Lj^nx 
badly,  to  follow  the  trail  of  one  all  day,  returning  home  as 
darkness  set  in.     They  returned  to  tlie  hunt  next  morning, 


440  Bia   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

took  ii})  the  trail  where  tliey  left  it  the  night  before,  and  fol- 
lowed it  all  day,  and  again  tlie  next  day,  till  they  finally 
trailed  the  beast  to  its  lair,  treed  and  shot  it.  In  mount- 
ainous, timbered  countries,  however,  such  heroic  methods 
are  seldom  necessary,  for  if  one  Tenas-Puss-Puss  escapes, 
another  is  usually  soon  found,  without  traveling  days  or 
weeks. 

The  dog  most  suitable  for  the  jnirpose  is  a  Deer-hound, or 
a  cross  between  a  Deer-hound  and  a  Collie.  A  swift  dog 
is  not  desirable;  the  main  qualifications  being,  that  he  will 
trail  by  scent,  give  mouth  boldl}-,  stsy  to  his  work,  put 
the  varmint  up  a  tree,  and  keep  him  there.  It  is  not  ex- 
pected that  any  dog  will  be  required  to  kill  the  beast  alone; 
so  size  is  not  so  much  an  object  as  scent,  voice,  and  staying 
qualities.  The  hunter  usually  wants  to  do  the  killing  him- 
self. If  the  dogs  have  to  do  that,  it  will  need  a  good  pack 
of  them,  well  trained,  who  will  woiiy,  harass,  and  attack 
him  from  all  sides,  aiming  to  get  him  by  the  throat  or  spine, 
as  his  back  is  easily  broken.  The  dog,  in  front  of  those  ter- 
rible claws  and  fangs,  must  have  great  sagacity,  courage,  and 
knowledge  of  the  science  of  self-defense,  looking  out  for  his 
own  skin,  first,  last,  and  all  the  time. 

One  wild  and  stormy  December  night,  a  trio  of  hunters, 
tired,  cold,  and  hungry,  in  camp  on  the  side  of  one  of  Mount 
Baker's  foot-hills,  sat  around  the  blazing  fire,  devouring 
their  evening  meal  of  venison,  })read,  and  cheese;  a  pot  of 
steauiing  black  coffee  hung  above  the  blazing  logs.  The 
wind  whistled,  howled,  and  screamed  through  the  gigantic 
fir-toi>s  on  all  sides.  The  forest  all  alxmt  was  mantled  in 
a  shroud  of  white;  the  line  snow  drifted  in  through  the 
cracks  and  ci-annies  of  the  rude  log  cabin. 

The  hiintei-s  iiuished  their  ]vi)ast.  put  away  cooking- 
ut<Misils,  and  those  that  used  the  fragi'ant  weed  tilled  their 
l)il)es,  lighting  tlu^n  with  a  brand  from  the  lire,  and  settled 
themselves  down  on  blankets  and  fui's,  with  their  feet  close 
to  the  glowing  embers.  Then  came  the  season  ol 7/ /////- fcaJ/- 
ir(i]( — heap  talk— each  in  turn  relating  incidents  and  advent- 


THE   LYNX.  441 

ures  of  camp-life,  of  mountain-life,  of  hunts  on  the  great 
plains  or  the  deep  forests. 

The  night  waned,  but  the  screaming  wind  without  howled 
on  in  dismal,  weird,  and  solemn  discord.  The  snow  fell 
faster  and  faster.  Growing  cold,  the  veteran  of  the  party 
rose  and  piled  new  logs  on  the  fire,  sending  a  cloud  of  sparks 
up  among  the  log  rafters  above. 

"A  bad  night,  boys!  I  pity  the  jDoor  unfortunate  who 
may  be  out  in  this  storm."' 

The  howl  of  a  Mountain  Wolf  rose  above  the  roar  of  the 
elements.  The  scream  of  a  Panther  joined  in  the  discord, 
rendering  the  night  truly  hideous.  The  scent  of  the  game 
that  hung  about  the  camp  kept  the  beasts  of  the  mountains 
hovering  around;  but  the  glare  and  smoke  from  the  cabin, 
and  the  presence  of  their  human  foes,  prevented  them  from 
coming  too  near. 

The  attention  of  the  hunters  being  turned  to  the  Puma, 
Mountain  Lion,  or  Cougar — otherwise  known  as  Panther- 
many  thrilling  and  blood-curdling  stories  were  narrated  of 
the  sneaking,  jjowerful  cat,  till  the  blood  of  the  listeners 
almost  ran  cold,  and  more  than  one  anxious  eye  was  uneasily 
turned  into  a  dark  corner,  or  cast  into  the  darkness  without, 
in  search  for  possible  prowlers. 

The  subject  next  discussed  was  the  Lynx,  and  him  the 
hunters  proposed  to  hunt  on  the  following  day.  Several  fine 
Cougar-skins  already  graced  the  cabin,  a  splendid  Brown 
Bear  had  been  killed,  a  number  of  Deer  and  Mountain 
Sheep  were  hung  safe  above  the  reach  of  the  prowling 
Wolves  without,  but  no  Lynx  had  yet  fallen  to  our  score. 
Many  big  Lynx-tracks  had  been  seen  in  the  snow,  but  until 
now  no  special  thought  had  been  given  them.  It  was  there- 
fore proposed  that  the  two  following  days  be  devoted  to 
this  cowardly  but  powerful  animal. 

A  last  look  to  rifles,  knives,  and  cartridge-belts  is  taken; 
hot  coals  are  raked  over  the  ground,  then  the  same  removed, 
leaving  a  warm  bed  of  earth,  upon  which  the  blankets  are 
spread,  and  three  tired  but  expectant  hunters  recline  their 
weary  limbs  thereon.     With  feet  to  the  fire,  and  heavy 


442  HH}   (lAMK   OF   NOIITII    AMERICA. 

blankets  piled  over  them,  tliey  sleep,  dreaming  of  thrilling 
encounters  with  mammoth  denizens  of  the  forest  and 
mountains,  of  skillful  shots,  instant  deaths,  herds  of  game, 
and  beasts  galore. 

And,  dreaming,  they  reck  not  of  the  night,  nor  of  the 
howling  blizzard  without.  The  night  wore  on,  and  as  the 
first  faint  streaks  of  daylight  came  stealing  down  upon  the 
cabin  amidst  the  virgin  forest,  one  member  of  the  i)arty 
awakes,  and  springing  to  his  feet,  replenishes  the  lire, 
which  has  almost  died  out,  huge  logs  being  placed  thereon. 
The  coffee-i)ot,  a  strip  of  venison,  and  a  slice  of  bacon  are 
placed  above  the  hot  coals.  His  companions  are  now  on 
foot,  and  the  steaming  breakfast  is  hastily  devoured.  The 
dogs  are  fed,  cartridge-belts  adjusted,  and  away  they  go. 

Only  one  dog — a  Cougar-dog — is  taken,  the  others  being 
left  at  camp,  greatly  to  their  consternation,  and  long  after 
camp  is  left  can  their  dismal  bowlings  be  heard.  The  snow 
in  all  directions  is  closely  scanned.  Deer,' Coon,  Cougar, 
Wolf,  and  Elk  tracks  alike  are  passed  by.  The  track  of 
the  Bear  is  not  now  seen;  he  is  taking  his  winter  s  sleep, 
and  does  not  meander  forth  till  spring  brings  him  out,  rav- 
enous with  hunger,  to  ravish  the  lands  below.  Then  the 
skunk-cabbage  and  the  rancher's  hogs  will  suffer. 

At  last  a  track  is  discovered  by  the  engineer,  the  veteran 
of  the  party,  who,  undecided,  beckons  the  writer  to  his  side. 
The  track  is  not  heavy  enough  or  wide  enough  for  that  of  a 
Cougar,  nor  is  it  the  dog-like  track  of  the  Wolf,  but  yet  it 
seems  too  big  for  that  of  a  Lynx.  All  three  hunters  now 
examine  the  track,  which  at  last  they  decide  to  be  that  of 
a  Canada  Lynx. 

The  dog  for  to-day's  work  is  a  cross  between  a  Collie  and 
a  Beei'-hound,  showing  many  points  of  each,  but  not  having 
the  long  coat  of  the  former,  nor  the  short  coat  of  the  latter; 
being,  instead,  covered  with  a  thick,  wiry  hair,  short  and 
stiff,  lie  has  the  liead  and  body  of  the  hound,  but  the 
color  of  the  Collie.  A  strong,  swift,  keen-nosed  animal  is 
E.'idger— the  hero  of  many  a  Cougar,  Bear,  and' Coon  hunt; 
intelligent  and  docile,  but  a  ravenous  feeder,  and  cross  to 


THE   LYXX.  443 

strangers.  He  was  not  a  house-dog,  but  a  dog  for  big 
game  surpassed  by  few.  Alas,  poor  Badger !  He  has  since 
passed  away,  in  a  most  miserable  manner,  having  been  poi- 
soned by  an  Indian  who  claimed  he  had  bitten  him. 

Badger's  attention  was  called  to  tlie  trail,  which  he 
sniffed  and  smelled,  and  soon  took  up.  With  nose  to  the 
snow,  he  slowly  trails  along;  then,  lifting  up  his  voice  in  a 
deej)  bay,  he  dashes  aw^ay,  hot  on  the  trail  of  the  Lynx. 

We  followed  him,  over  fallen  tree-trunks  covered  deej) 
with  snow,  under  snow-covered  and  reclining  limbs,  tlirough 
thick  undergrowtlis  and  tangles  of  all  kinds,  wht^re  one 
touch  of  the  liand.  body,  or  boot  was  sufficient  to  shake 
down  the  soft  snow  ui)on  coat,  ca}),  and  riHe,  till  the  entire 
party  are  white  from  head  to  foot.  Now  the  dog  runs 
silent,  having  missed  the  trail;  but  soon  his  keen  nose 
strikes  it  again,  and  away  he  goes,  his  deep,  bass  notes 
guiding  the  hunters  aright. 

The  storm  has  abated;  the  sun  coldly  peeps  through  the 
thick  foliage  and  towering  tree-toj)s.  Warming  up  as  the 
day  grows  older,  ten  thousand  diamonds  sparkle  from  limb, 
leaf,  and  trunk,  till  the  beautiful  snow-white  covering,  glit- 
tering, glinting  in  the  rays  of  the  December  sun,  dazzles 
the  eye.  Nature  now  in  her  grandest  form  calls  forth 
the  wonder  and  delight  of  the  enthusiastic  worshipers  at 
her  shrine. 

But  the  Lynx  is  not  yet  caught,  and  that,  not  Nature- 
w^orship,  is  the  business  of  to-day;  so  onward  we  spring,  the 
footstep  silent  and  noiseless  as  death,  no  sound  breaking  the 
stillness  but  the  baying  of  the  dog.  the  chirp  of  a  squirrel,  or 
the  Avliir  of  a  grouse  as  it  starts  from  under  foot,  and,  straight 
as  an  arrow,  sails  onto  a  limb,  and  sits  there,  a  big  brown 
bird  with  outstretched  neck,  stupidly  allowing  the  intruder 
to  pass  beneath  without  stirring  a  feather.  The  moaning 
of  the  Avind  through  the  tree-tops  adds  its  melody  or  dis- 
cord, as  you  ma}'  please  to  term  it,  to  the  other  slight  dis- 
turbances, save  which,  all  is  a  vast,  unbroken  solitude. 

The  track  of  the  Lynx  is  jilainly  outlined  before  us,  deep 
cut  into  the  soft  snow.     Where  an  extra  jump  has  been 


444  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

made,  tlie  sliaq),  cruel  claws  cut  into  the  snow,  the  heel  in 
places  being  also  plainly  marked,  making  an  imprint  not 
unlike  a  man's  bare  foot — long,  and  tapering  back  to  the  heel. 

Now  Badger  shows  a  fresh  burst  of  sj^eed,  and  we  have 
trouble  in  keei)ing  within  hearing  of  him.  The  quarry  is 
started,  and  probably  the  dog  has  sighted  it,  for  he  roars  on, 
heedless  of  obstacles.  Surely,  now  the  Lynx  will  soon  take 
to  a  tree.  At  an  exclamation  from  one  of  the  party,  all  eyes 
are  turned  in  the  direction  of  his  gaze.  There,  upon  a  bare 
surface,  and  in  an  opening  in  the  brush,  is  seen  a  Goat-like 
beast,  with  humped  back  and  tufted  ears,  taking  long 
bounds — an  uncouth,  ungainly,  clumsy  gait  indeed. 

Badger  has  seen  him,  too,  and  with  a  tremendous  burst  of 
speed  he  i)asses,  like  a  bolt,  before  our  gaze.  Yes,  there 
goes  the  Lynx  up  a  tree.  Now  Badger  is  beneath,  howling 
at  the  top  of  his  voice.  Although  tired  unto  death,  the 
perspiration  oozing  from  every  pore,  and  our  limbs  ready 
to  wilt  to  the  ground,  the  sight  of  the  quarrj^  and  the 
knowledge  that  the  chase  is  ended,  gives  us  new  strength, 
and  we  are  soon  beneath  the  tree. 

A  50-110  Winchester  Exjiress,  a  38  caliber  Winchester, 
and  a  45-60  are  leveled  at  the  crouching,  trembling,  and 
quivering  mass  of  gray  fur  above.  Three  reports  ring  out 
as  one,  and  down  comes  the  big-limbed  animal,  perforated 
with  lead  enough  to  kill  an  elex)hant.  Badger  is  allowed  to 
shake  his  enemy  a  few  seconds,  and  then  the  limp  body  is 
taken  away  from  him  to  save  the  pelt,  which  is  a  very  hand- 
some one.  We  judged  him  to  weigh  at  least  forty-five 
pounds. 

After  skinning  and  rolling  up  the  pelt,  we  made  our 
Avtnny  way  back  to  camp,  which  we  reached  about  dark, 
jaded  and  worn  out,  but  jubilant  at  our  success. 

The  next  day  we  decided  to  still-hunt  another  Lynx, 
whose  track  we  had  crossed  while  following  our  big  chap. 
Now,  still-huntingtheLynx,  in  thick  timber  and  over  rough 
ground,   upon  a  mountain-side,  is  an  extremely  uncertain 


THE   LYNX.  445 

But,  nothing  daunted,  the  writer  and  the  engineer  took 
up  the  trail  the  following  morning,  while  our  companion 
remained  at  camp  to  nurse  a  contused  ankle,  which  he  had 
sustained  while  jumping  from  a  huge  log  the  i:)revious  day. 
The  hurt  was  painful,  but  not  serious. 

The  trail  was  readily  picked  uf),  but,  being  somewhat 
old,  was  discarded  for  a  new  one  which  crossed  it,  and  was 
evidently  but  a  few  hours  old.  Though  not  large,  it  promised 
good  sport,  and  at  least  another  pelt.  This  track  crossed 
much  of  the  same  ground  as  that  of  the  day  previous,  but 
went  down  to  the  lowland,  into  the  green  timber.  Having 
reason  to  believe  that  the  Lynx  had  lingered,  and  was  not  a 
great  march  ahead,  we  tramped  leisurely  on. 

Sundry  grouse-feathers  bestrewed  the  snow  where  he  had 
been  feeding.  Being  a  skillful  fowler,  the  Lynx  is  seldom 
at  a  loss  for  the  staff  of  life  here  in  the  Cascade  Range,  where 
birds  are  so  abundant.  Like  a  dog,  he  will  scent  his  game. 
Knowing  how  to  proceed,  from  long  experience  and  a  con- 
stant necessity  of  hustling  for  himself,  he  advances  on  his 
unsuspecting  victim,  silently,  noiselessly,  and  concealed,  per- 
haps, behind  souie  mound  of  earth  or  tree-trunk,  he  sneaks 
along,  with  his  belly  on  the  ground,  till  he  is  as  near  as  he 
can  get  without  flushing  the  grouse.  Strutting  upon  a  log, 
perchance,  is  the  i)roud  bird;  every  feather  ruffled,  the 
black  feathers  around  his  neck  puffed  out,  he  i)aces  majes- 
tically to  and  fro,  ever  and  anon  emitting  a  slight  ''cluck- 
cluck,"  similar  to  tliat  produced  by  moistening  the  lips, 
holding  them  together,  then  separating  them  with  a  snap; 
or,  if  it  be  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  he  drums  and  booms, 
producing  a  sound  similar  to  that  produced  by  beating  rap- 
idly on  an  immense  bass-drum. 

Or  possibly  the  partridge  is  quietly  feeding,  pecking  at 
stray  morsels  of  food,  unconscious  of  the  treacherous,  crawl- 
ing destroyer  so  near  at  hand.  The  bird' s  head  being  turned 
to  one  side  for  a  second,  there  is  a  streak,  a  flash  of  fur,  and 
the  next  instant  the  cruel  fangs  pierce  through  featliers, 
flesh,  and  bone,  and  the  poor  bird  never  knows  what  struck 
him. 


446  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Even  if  tlie  grouse  is  too  far  off,  or  the  cat  has  miscalcu- 
hited  his  leaj),  and  tlie  bird  takes  to  his  wings,  which  are  of 
great  strengtli,  and  which  often  carry  him  through  the 
hunter's  fire  unscathed,  the  Lynx  is  not  yet  foiled,  nor  are 
his  resources  yet  at  an  end.  No  aim  is  truer,  no  calculation 
more  accurate,  no  motion  swifter,  than  the  spring  which  is 
now  made,  as  the  bird  rises  from  the  ground,  and  is  caught 
in  mid-air,  with  a  tremendous  leap  of  lightning-like  swift- 
ness; and  the  bird  is  crushed  between  jaws  of  steel. 

The  feathers  show  us  that  the  beast  has  tarried  here;  and 
this  delay  may  be  fatal  to  him.  Going  still  slower,  we  move 
silently  along  in  the  fresh-cut  tracks.  Here  he  has  turned; 
now  he  has  doubled  back.  We  must  be  careful,  or  we  will 
lose  him  in  this  thick  jungle. 

"Very  likely  he  is  in  there,"  we  think,  as  we  lift  one 
foot  ahead  of  the  other — one  eye  on  the  trail,  the  other 
examining  every  limb  and  trunk  ahead  of  us,  and  on  each 
side. 

"No,  he  can't  be  in  here." 

The  tracks  continue  through;  now  his  jumps  are  longer; 
he  is  fairly  humping  himself,  no  doubt  having  pressing 
business  on  hand  in  some  other  county.  We. don't  believe 
he  has  heard  or  seen  us,  for  we  have  the  wind  and  have  come 
very  cautiously  and  quietly.  No  sound  can  he  have  heard. 
Now  the  trail  leads  us  into  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle, 
along  a  ravine.  A  wind-fall  blocks  our  further  progress; 
trees  of  all  sizes  are  piled  above  each  other,  till  it  seems  an 
impossibility  for  even  a  cat  to  enter. 

A  council  of  war  is  held,  in  whispered  accents.  The 
area  of  the  wind-fall  is  not  great,  so  we  decide  to  encircle 
it,  hoping  to  put  puss  out  if  hidden  therein.  The  engineer 
climbs  down  into  the  rugged,  rocky,  shelving  mountain- 
gulch,  carefully  watching  for  the  trail.  The  writer  circles 
in  the  opposite  direction,  which  proves  less  i^recipitous; 
also  watches  the  snow-covered  ground  for  the  trail. 

A  low  whistle  from  the  engineer  hastens  his  footsteps. 
Wo  are  soon  together  again.  The  v<^teran  silently  i)oints  a 
finger  u})  the  craggy  sides  of  the  gulch,  where  a  ledge  of 


THE   LVXX.  447 

rock  jDrojects  almost  ijeipendiculaiiy  above.  The  foot- 
prints of  the  Lynx,  or  some  other  large  animal,  lead 
directly  to  it,  and  above  it  there  are  no  tracks. 

The  veteran's  face,  suffused  with  smiles,  is  benignantly 
turned  upon  me. 

"  There's  our  varmint;  but  how  will  we  get  there!! — that's 
the  question." 

The  sides  of  the  ravine  are  closely  scanned  for  a  scaling- 
point,  but  none  presents  itself  which  will  admit  of  speedy 
travel.  The  only  course  left  open  is  to  attempt  the  ascent, 
which  ajjpears  extremely  hazardous.  Boulders  and  rocks, 
big  as  the  Chicago  Court-house,  have  to  be  scaled,  whose 
sides  tower  straight  up.  Then,  again,  loose  rocks  of  all 
sizes  present  themselves,  a  touch  only  being  required  to 
hurl  them  below.  Still,  having  come  so  far  for  that  Lynx, 
we  can  not  go  back  now,  but  must  have  him,  rocks  or  no 
rocks.  So,  straj)ping  our  rifles  to  our  backs,  we  climb  up 
till  we  get  to  the  most  prominent  obstruction,  a  jutting 
ledge,  which  it  appears  almost  impossible  to  surmount.  A 
bank  of  soft  earth  is  discovered  to  the  right  of  it,  in  which 
our  hunting-knives  soon  make  holes  for  our  hands  and  feet. 
A  tedious,  risky  climb  brings  us  on  the  ledge  above,  which 
is  covered  with  two  feet  of  snow,  where  the  Lynx-track  is 
again  recovered.  A  fissure  in  the  rock  next  receives  our 
attention. 

"  If  there  is  no  other  entrance  to  this  cave,  we've  got  you, 
old  gray-back!"  ejaculates  the  engineer,  as  we  thrust  our 
rifles  into  the  opening,  and  endeavor  to  pierce  the  gloom 
within.  The  darkness  is  too  thick,  and  at  first  nothing  is 
to  be  seen.  Presently,  however,  the  eye  becomes  accus- 
tomed to  the  gloom,  and  a  deep  fissure  is  found  which  will 
admit  us  both.  Stooping  low,  we  advance  slowly  into  the 
darkness.  A  match  is  struck,  and  there,  huddled  up  on  a 
ledge  of  rock,  are  two  dark  bodies.  The  match  flickers  and 
dies.  Another  is  struck,  and  a  pair  of  rifles  thrust  in  the 
direction  of  the  two  bodies;  a  pair  of  large,  shining  eyes 
appear  on  each  side  of  the  sight  on  the  business-end  of  the 
rifle;  tworejDorts  thunder  together  in  the  cramped  quarters. 


448  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Darkness,  thick  and  impenetrable,  follows.  We  hear 
writhing,  struggling,  and  a  smothered  scream  in  the  direc- 
tion of  one  of  the  bodies,  and  both  our  rifles  are  again  dis- 
charged in  the  direction  of  the  sound;  then  all  is  still. 
Another  match  is  now  struck;  but  the  smoke  hangs  so 
thick  and  l)lack  that  we  are  unable  to  see  through  it. 

Returning  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  an  oiled  rag  and  a 
piece  of  tarred  rope  are  discovered  in  a  pocket.  The  rag 
and  rope  are  twisted  together  and  set  on  fire,  and  the  burn- 
ing mass  thrown  far  into  the  cave,  bringing  brightness 
and  light  to  every  corner  of  it.  We  return,  and  find  the 
two  animals  dead;  two  balls  having  passed  through  one  of 
them,  while  the  death  of  the  other  had  been  instant  as  the 
result  of  one  shot. 

Both  are  drawn  out  to  the  daylight,  and  examined  with 
great  interest.  One  was  the  largest  Lynx  we  had  ever  seen, 
and  would  have  weighed,  as  nearly  as  we  could  judge,  about 
fifty  pounds.  He  was  three  feet  long,  exclusive  of  the  tail. 
The  other  Lynx  was  much  smaller,  and  a  female,  measur- 
ing somewhat  under  thirty  inches,  and  weighing  about 
half  as  much  as  the  male.  Securing  the  pelts,  we  retraced 
our  steps.  This  ended  the  most  exciting  Lynx-chase  we 
ever  had,  and  the  most  prolific  of  results. 

When  not  more  than  half-way  back  to  camp,  night  over- 
took us,  and  we  lost  our  way  in  the  darkness.  The  spec- 
tacle of  a  pair  of  bosom  friends,  old  hunters,  lost  on  a  prai- 
rie, or  even  inmost  forests,  conjures  up  no  feelings  of  horror 
in  tlie  mind  of  the  reader.  To  be  lost  in  such  a  forest  and  on 
sucli  mountains  as  these,  where  the  snow  lies  from  two  to 
five  feet  deep;  the  smallest  tree  three  feet  in  thickness;  the 
darkness  so  intense  that  you  can  cut  it  with  a  knife;  the 
only  sounds  being  the  sobbing  and  moaning  of  the  trees, 
the  distant  howl  of  tlie  Mountain  Wolf — a  savage,  cold- 
blooded, cruel  beast — or  the  scream  of  the  Mountain  Lion, 
the  occasional  "tu-hoot,  tu-hoot,  tu-tu-lioot"  of  the  screech- 
owl — is  not  pleasant,  to  say  the  least.  Add  to  these  the 
knowledut^  that  tlie  first  huge  tree-trunk  you  come  to  may 
harbor  l)enpatli  its  roots,  entombed  in  a  bed  of  snow,  a  huge 


THE   LYNX.  449 

Cultus  Bear,  sleeping  his  long  hibernal  sleep,  but  needing 
only  a  rap  or  a  kick  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  to  wake  him 
up  and  turn  him  out  into  the  darkness,  "  madder' n  a  nest 
of  hornets,"  and  you  can  readily  imagine  that  we  were 
not  exactly  comfortable.  We  would  far  rather  have  been 
tucked  up  in  our  beds  at  home,  or  be  stretched  out  in 
camp  with  a  huge  log  fire  hissing  and  crackling  before  us. 
No,  dear  reader,  I  advise  you  never  to  get  lost  in  the  piny 
forests  of  British  Columbia,  or  in  our  Northwest  mount- 
ain ranges.     You'll  feel  lonesome  and  homesick  if  you  do. 

But  lost  we  were,  and  we  knew  that  no  amount  of  rej)in- 
ing  would  enable  us  to  find  ourselves.  After  an  immense 
amount  of  conjecturing  and  figuring  as  to  where  Ave  were, 
we  decided  that  it  was  useless  to  try  to  reach  camp  that 
night,  and  that  our  only  means  of  living  tlirough  it  was  to 
build  a  big  fire  and  keep  it  up.  We  ransacked  the  neigh- 
borhood for  dry  limbs,  dry  leaves — in  fact,  anything  dry ; 
but  alas!  dry  things  were  not  to  be  found.  The  soft,  yield- 
ing snow  encased  all  in  a  mantle  of  perpetual  whiteness 
and  wetness. 

Strips  were  cut  from  our  clothing,  and  matches  pulled, 
and  scratched  across  any  dry  spot  that  we  could  find;  but 
they  soon  burned  out.  The  thought  of  remaining  out  this 
cold,  windy  night  without  a  fire  became  almost  maddening. 

One,  two,  three,  a  dozen  shots  were  fired,  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, from  our  rifles.  Hopeless  hope!  No  hunter  is 
nearer  than  our  camp,  and  the  solitary  occupant  of  that  is 
far  beyond  the  sound  of  our  weapons.  How  gladly  would 
he  find  us,  if  only  he  knew  where  we  were!  It  being 
impossible  to  start  a  fire,  and  the  cold  becoming  too  great 
for  us  to  stand  idle  much  longer,  we  were  compelled  to 
resume  our  march. 

We  went  floundering  through  snow  and  brush,  scarcely 
making  any  headway  in  the  intense  darkness.  We  tum- 
bled, rolled,  and  wandered  aimlessly  on,  hour  after  hour, 
till,  almost  sinking  down  through  sheer  weariness,  we  were 
in  utter  despair.  At  intervals  we  fired  our  rifles,  in  hopes 
of  reaching  the  ear  of  some  distant  camp. 

29 


45l)  ma   (JAMH   <)F   NORTH   AMERICA, 

At  last  we  fancy  we  hear  a  shot.  Then  another.  Yes, 
there  are  three  more.  We  are  saved!  Blindly  groping  our 
way  in  tlie  direction  of  the  welcome  sounds,  we  fire  the  last 
shots  remaining  in  our  belts,  and  keep  yelling  at  the  top  of 
our  voices.  At  last  we  hear  the  answering  shouts,  and  soon 
see  the  torch,  carried  by  the  party  who  so  opportunely  had 
heard  our  shots. 

We  are  soon  among  them ;  they  are  Lummi  Indians.  Lead- 
ing us  to  their  camp,  we  are  soon  seated  by  a  blazing  lire. 
For  several  minutes  we  absorb  the  warmth,  too  glad  to 
utter  a  sound.  Though  no  questions  are  asked  by  our  res- 
cuers, man}'  questioning  glances  are  cast  in  our  direction. 
Finally,  having  got  our  limbs  and  tongues  thawed  out, 
the  engineer  proceeded  to  enlighten  the  Indians,  in  Chi- 
nook, as  to  the  I'eason  of  our  strange  appearance  amongst 
them.  They  set  before  us  a  piece  of  venison  and  a  bowl  of 
corn-mush,  which  soon  disappeared;  then  the  pipe  was 
passed,  and  they  all  settled  down  again  into  gloomy  silence. 

A  motley  group  were  they — some  young,  some  old;  dark- 
skinned,  black-haired,  broad-faced,  heavy-limbed;  short  of 
stature,  but  broad  and  long  bodied,  with  short  legs,  reced- 
ing brows,  and  prominent  cheek  and  skull  bones. 

They  sat  cross-legged,  gazing  into  the  glowing  coals,  pay- 
ing no  further  attention  to  us.  They  were  a  hunting-party 
Avho  were  out  after  the  Big  Horns,  the  Deer,  Elk,  Cougar, 
Bear,  and 'Coons.  Their  only  weapons  were  the  ancient 
pieces  of  iron,  with  the  wooden  handles,  such  as  are  bar- 
tered by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  in  exchange  for  furs. 
They  are,  however,  carefully  cleaned  every  night,  oiled,  and 
put  away  in  the  woolen  or  buckskin  sack,  for  further  use 
the  following  day. 

The  Puget  Scmnd  Indian  is  not,  as  a  rule,  a  good  shot, 
but  understands  the  habits  of  all  game,  and  wild  animals. 
He  is  very  saving  of  his  ammunition,  and  wastes  no  powder 
<^)r  balls  on  uncertainties.  He  must  be  close  to  his  quarry 
before  his  ancient  piece  of  ordnance  is  discharged.  Snaking 
himself  through  the  woods  on  all  fours,  traveling,  perhaps, 
not   more   than    a    hundred  vards    in    an  hour,    he    is    a 


THE   LYNX.  451 

relentless  foe  to  the  Deer  or  Elk.  He  is  dirty  and  filthy  in 
his  habits,  subsisting  principally  on  smoked  salmon  and  salt 
meat — living  a  life  several  degrees  below  that  of  a  beast. 

The  glowing  accounts  of  the  noble  red  man  which  we 
have  read  in  our  youth,  and  the  exalted  opinion  we  have 
held  of  his  manly  attributes,  brave  deeds,  and  daring  mien, 
are  all  dispelled  upon  being  brought  face  to  face  with  the 
filthy  realitj^  Gratitude  or  generosity  are  unknown  ele- 
ments in  his  make-up.  Tliere  are  many  powerful,  hardy 
specimens  of  manhood  among  them,  but  this  is  attributable 
to  their  out-door  life,  and  wanderings  in  the  forests  and 
mountains.  Shrewdness  and  cunning  they  possess  in  a 
marked  degree,  in  all  that  j^ertains  to  their  own  interests. 
Patience,  also,  is  one  of  their  leading  characteristics. 

A  night  in  an  Indian  hovel  under  ordinary  circumstances 
vi^ould  be  unendurable,  but  on  the  occasion  I  have  described 
anything  was  preferable  to  the  midnight  how  lings  of  the 
woods.  We  passed  the  night  as  best  we  could  among  our 
red  brethren,  but  were  up  and  off  at  the  first  streak  of  day- 
light in  the  morning.  Our  homeward  way  was  soon  dis- 
covered in  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  and  a  long,  hard  tramp 
brought  us  again  to  our  cabin,  where  we  found  our  comrade 
in  a  great  state  of  fear,  not  knowing  what  had  happened 
to  us. 


[•■Staf  ^V^ 


THE   WOLF. 


By  William  Pittman  Lett. 


Hark  to  that  minstrelsy,  ringing  and  clear! 
'Tis  the  chorus  of  death  on  the  trail  of  the  Deer! 
The  fierce  forest  Blood-hounds  are  gathering  in  might; 
Their  echoing  yells  wake  the  silence  of  night, 
As  relentless  they  stretch  over  mountain  and  plain, 
The  blood  of  their  fast-speeding  victim  to  drain. 
They  close — he  stands  proudly  one  moment  at  bay; 
'Tis  his  last — they  are  on  him  to  ravage  and  slay  I 

^HE  Wolf  belongs  to  the  genus  Canis,  or  Canine 
family.  According  to  Audubon  and  Bacliman's 
"Quadrupeds  of  America,"  the  Wolf  has  six  inci- 
"^^  sors  in  the  upper  and  six  in  the  lower  jaw,  one 
canine  tooth  in  each  jaw,  and  six  molars  above  and  six 
below.  The  three  first  teeth  in  the  ux)per  jaw  and  the  four 
in  the  lower  jaw  are  trenchant  and  small,  and  are  also 
called  false  molars.  The  great  carnivorous  tooth  above  is 
bicus^Did,  with  a  small  tubercle  on  the  inner  side;  that  below 
has  the  posterior  lobe  altogether  tubercular.  There  are  two 
tuberculous  teeth  behind  each  of  the  great  carnivorous 
teeth.  The  muzzle  of  the  Wolf  is  elongate;  the  tongue 
soft;  the  ears  erect,  but  sometimes  pendulous  in  the  domes- 
tic varieties.  The  fore  feet  are  pentadactylous,  or  five-toed; 
the  hind  feet,  tetradactylous,  or  four- toed;  the  teats  are 
both  inguinal  and  ventral. 

The  Gray  Wolf  of  Canada — i.  e.,  the  large  Wolf  of  all 
Northern  America — is  about  five  feet  six  inches  in  length, 
from  the  jDoint  of  the  nose  to  extreme  end  of  the  tail; 
ordinarily  about  twenty-six  inches  high  at  the  shoulder, 
larger  ones,  however,  measuring  twenty-eight  inches  in 
height  and  weighing  from  seventy  to  one  hundred  pounds. 
I  give  the  latter  measurement  and  height  from  the  bodies 

(453) 


454  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

of  Wolves  tliat  I  have  killed,  and  I  am  confident  that  I  am 
under  rather  than  over  the  actual  size  and  height  of  the 
Gray  ^^'olf. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  American  Wolves,  differ- 
ing so  much  from  each  other,  chiefly  in  color,  as  to  lead  some 
naturalists  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  different  in  spe- 
cies, and  that  they  do  not  originate  from  the  same  primeval 
stock.  They  are  all  about  the  same  size,  and  band  together 
in  the  same  pack;  the  white,  gray,  and  red  varieties  being 
specifically  identical. 

In  size  and  other  peculiarities,  all  the  larger  AVolves  dif- 
fer from  the  Prairie  Wolf  and  the  Coyote;  both  of  these 
smaller  varieties  burrow  in  the  earth,  are  much  less  savage 
and  destructive,  and  much  more  docile  and  affectionate  in 
a  state  of  domestication,  than  are  those  of  any  variety  of 
the  larger  species.  According  to  the  best  zoological  author- 
ities, all  the  larger  Wolves  are  dwellers  upon  the  surface 
of  the  earth — sleeping  in  the  open  air,  or  making  their  dens 
in  caves  or  crevices  of  rocks. 

The  most  valuable  skins  are  obtained  from  the  White 
Arctic  Wolf;  the  next,  in  thickness  of  fur  and  costliness, 
is  the  skin  of  the  Gray  Wolf  of  Northern  America;  and  so 
on  down  to  the  pelt  of  the  black  variety,  which,  being  a 
southern  animal,  ranging  in  a  warmer  habitat,  carries  the 
thinnest  and  coarsest  coat  of  the  entire  genus,  and  conse- 
quently is  of  tlie  least  value. 

The  Gray  Wolf,  the  variety  most  common  in  Canada, 
bears  a  very  striking  resemblance  to  the  European  Wolf. 
There  are,  however,  differences  between  them,  which  at  one 
time  appeared  to  be  distinct  and  permanent.  Naturalists 
of  late  years  appear  to  be  unanimous  in  the  conclusion  that 
the  larger  Wolves  of  the  Old  and  New  World  all  belong  to 
one  sj^ecies.  The  American  Wolf,  notably  the  Canadian 
variety,  is  at  least  equal  in  size  to  that  of  any  other 
countr}'. 

Billings  tells  us  that  "the  body  of  the  American  Wolf 
is  Img  and  gaunt;  muzzle  elongated,  and  somewhat  thicker 
than  that  of  the  Pyrenean  Wolf;    head  thick,  nose  long, 


THE   WOLF.  455 

ears  erect  and  conical,  as  is  the  case  with  all  trne  Wolves; 
pupil  of  the  eye  circular;  tail  straight — the  animal  does 
not  carry  it  curled  over  his  back,  like  a  dog." 

To  this  excellent  description,  I  may  add  that  the  eye  of 
the  American  Wolf  is  of  a  light  greenish  color;  its  expres- 
sion is  sneaking  and  sinister,  intermingled  with  an  aspect 
of  cunning  similar  to,  although  surpassing  in  force,  the 
yellow  eye  of  the  Fox.  As  stated  above,  the  tail  of  the 
Wolf  is  bushy;  but  it  is  neither  so  long  nor  so  elegantly 
rounded  and  heavy  as  that  of  a  Fox. 

At  one  time,  the  Gray  Wolf  was  found  all  over  the  Con- 
tinent of  America,  as  far  south  as  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It 
is  still  to  be  met  with  in  considerable  numbers  on  the  great 
j)lains  of  the  West,  on  the  slopes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  in  more  or  less  abundance,  according  to  location, 
in  all  the  remote  and  sparsely  settled  portions  of  Canada, 
Newfoundland,  and  Cape  Breton.  In  voice,  form,  generic 
character,  and  manner  of  hunting  their  prey,  all  the  varie- 
ties of  the  large  North  American  AVolves  are  essentially 
similar. 

In  the  early  historj^  of  Canada  and  the  United  States, 
not  less  than  in  the  valley  of  the  Ottawa,  Wolves  were 
dangerously  abundant.  In  those  old  times,  in  all  new  set- 
tlements, sheep  — when  a  fanner  was  fortunate  enough  to 
own  any — had  to  be  penned  up  carefully  every  night,  other- 
wise wool  would  certainly  be  flying  before  morning. 

It  was  not  alone  that  in  one  of  those  nocturnal  raids  many 
sheep  were  devoured — that  was  not  the  worst  feature  of 
the  transaction.  A  couple  of  those  blood-thirsty  maraud- 
ers, in  one  night  would  kill  fifteen  or  twenty  sheep,  simply 
tearing  open  their  throats  without  otherwise  mutilating 
their  carcasses. 

After  such  a  catastrophe,  cheap  mutton  was  easily  pro- 
curable; frequently,  too,  at  a  season  of  the  year  when  the 
old  pioneers  were  obliged  to  live  without  meat  of  any  kind, 
fresh  or  salt,  for  months  at  a  time.  For  the  information 
of  those  unacquainted  with  the  hardships  and  privations  of 
the  men  who  cut  down  the  wilderness  and  cleared  the  land, 


456  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

I  may  say  that  this  enforced  economical  fast  usually  did 
not  terminate  until  the  pigs  were  killed,  in  December, 

Ai)art  from  the  information  which  I  have  derived  from 
the  authentic  records  of  natural  liistor\%  I  have  had  a 
somewhat  intimate  j^ersonal  acquaintance  with  this  fero- 
cious bandit  of  the  wilderness,  through  practical  observa- 
tion, as  well  as  by  the  agency  of  steel-traps. 

Now,  it  is  a  generally  receive  1  opinion— like  manj^  other 
jiopular  fallacies — that  the  Fox  surpasses  all  other  animals 
in  cunning.  I  have  had  what  I  consider  good  and  sufficient 
reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  this  ancient  conclusion. 
I  tliink  anyone  who  tries  to  catch  a  Wolf  in  a  steel-trap 
will  agree  with  me,  that  the  Wolf  is  a  much  more  cunning 
animal  than  the  Fox. 

In  my  younger  days,  I  trapped  many  Wolves  and  Foxes, 
as  well  as  fishers,  minks,  and  muskrats.  I  used  no  pun- 
gent oils  or  other  extraneous  attractions  to  wile  them,  but 
simply  matched  my  own  intelligence  against  their  instinct- 
ive cunning;  and  in  the  case  of  the  Wolf,  I  have  often,  for 
many  successive  days,  found  myself  completely  circum- 
vented. 

In  proof  of  the  persistent  cunning  of  the  Wolf,  I  may 
relate  a  circumstance  of  some  weight.  While  trapping,  in 
the  month  of  December,  1840,  I  fastened  a  piece  of  liver 
upon  the  knotty  spike  of  a  hemlock-tree,  about  three  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  set  a  well-concealed  trap  under  it. 
The  Wolves  frequented  the  sj^ot  every  night;  and  although 
they  tramped  a  circle  in  the  snow  six  feet  from  the  tree, 
or  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  their  dread  of  the  trap  ])re- 
vented  them  from  touching  the  meat,  notwithstanding  tlie 
fact  that  it  remained  in  its  position  until  the  first  day  of 
April. 

A  short  distance  from  the  same  spot,  during  the  same 
winter,  I  cauglit  three  Wolves,  twenty-seven  Foxes,  three 
fishei's,  and  one  marten.  I  exi)erience(l  more  difficulTy  in 
cai»turing  tlie  AVolves  than  all  the  others  put  together. 
1  took  thn  Wolves  in  the  following  manner:  T  deiK)sited  a 
quantity  of  pigs'  livers  and  other  olfal  in  the  center  of  a 


THE  WOLF.  457 

dense  c;^dar-swamp,  near  the  present  site  of  the  Carp  Vil- 
hige,  in  the  Township  of  Huntly.  I  had  heard  the  Wolves 
howling  after  Deer  on  several  occasions  previously;  and  I 
was  also  aware  that  they  had  killed  a  number  of  sheep  and 
a  few  young  cattle  in  tlie  immediate  vicinity. 

The  Wolves  soon  scented  the  bait,  and  gathered  around 
it — as  I  frequently  had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  their 
inimitable  music  in  the  swamp.  I  visited  the  spot  three 
times  in  each  week,  always  stepping  in  the  same  tracks 
going  and  returning,  from  and  back  to  the  main  traveled 
I'oad.  I  found  that,  during  three  weeks,  they  had  not  vent- 
ured nearer  than  about  six  or  eight  feet  of  the  bait,  and 
that  up  to  that  i)oint  the  snow  all  around  it  was  beaten 
dow^n  by  their  tracks. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  week,  they  attacked  and 
devoured  the  greater  x^art  of  the  offal.  I  then  renewed  the 
bait,  and  set  a  trap  in  front  of  it  where  they  had  com- 
menced eating.  I  was  particular,  after  the  trap  was  jolaced, 
in  leaving  the  surface  of  the  snow  exactly  in  the  same  con- 
dition as  I  found  it.  Next  morning  I  found  the  springs  of 
the  trap  bare;  the  snow  had  been  scratched  away,  and  the 
bait  had  been  eaten  on  the  other  side.  I  then  set  another 
trap  on  the  opposite  side,  and  next  morning  found  both 
traps  bare.  I  w^as  somewhat  puzzled,  but  I  determined  to 
persevere.  I  then  set  both  traps  in  such  a  manner  that, 
should  the  Wolves  attempt  the  scratching  trick  again,  the 
first  xmrt  of  the  traps  that  could  possibly  be  touched  would 
be  the  pan.  They  came  that  night,  and  one  remained  there; 
for,  to  my  great  satisfaction,  I  found  him,  in  the  morning, 
fast  in  one  of  the  traj^s.  He  was  a  line,  large  specimen, 
twenty-eight  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder,  and  corres- 
pondingly long-bodied  and  bulky.  His  weight  must  have 
been  at  least  eighty  pounds,  or  perhaps  more. 

As  it  has  fortunately  turned  out,  for  the  jmrposes  of 
this  sketch,  I  put  Mr.  Lupus  through  a  somewhat  critical 
examination.  I  poked  him  up  smartly,  and  experimented 
upon  him,  with  the  view  of  learning  something  whicli  I  did 
not  then  know  about  the  amiable  members  of  his  interestino; 


4i)S  Kid   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

race.  I  endeavored  to  make  him  give  tongue,  but  failed. 
Like  a  hound  without  a  scent,  he  was  silent.  I  could  not 
induce  him  to  utter  a  sound;  nor  did  he  attempt  either  to 
snarl  or  growl.  I  noticed  that  when  I  step]3ed  off  a  few  i:)aces, 
at  each  step  he  raised  his  body  until  standing  at  liis  full 
height.  At  each  step  as  I  approached  him  again,  he  lowered 
himself  gradually  until  flat  on  the  ground,  with  his  head 
between  his  paws,  in  which  jjosition  he  remained  as  long  as 
I  stood  beside  him.  He  seemed  exceedingly  shy  and  timor- 
ous, but  made  no  attempt  to  escape;  while  he  was  far  too 
cunning  to  display  any  ferocity.  An  otter,  a  fisher,  or  a 
marten  would  have  snarled,  growled,  and  fought  viciously 
under  similar  conditions. 

I  feel  convinced  that  with  a  dog-collar  and  chain,  after 
freeing  liim  from  the  trap,  I  could  without  difficulty  have 
led  him  home.  I  put  this  idea  to  the  test  in  the  following 
manner:  For  the  purpose  of  fastening  the  trap,  I  cut  down  a 
balsam  sapling,  about  three  inches  in  diameter,  the  root  end 
of  which  I  cut  off  square.  Into  this  I  drove  a  staple,  to 
which  I  locked  the  chain  of  the  trap  with  a  small  padlock. 
I  then  planted  the  tree  precisely  in  the  position  in  wiiicli  it 
grew,  and  where  the  Wolves  had  been  in  the  habit  of  seeing 
it,  night  after  night,  for  weeks. 

When  I  had  complet(?d  my  zoological  experiments,  never 
then  expecting  to  tell  my  readers  anything  about  them,  I 
unlocked  the  trap,  and  walked  quietly  off*  toward  home. 
The  Wolf  got  up  and  followed  me,  without  any  resistance, 
for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when  I  accidentally  tripped 
over  a  large  pine-root  and  fell.  Had  I  not  known  something 
about  the  history  and  character  of  my  companion,  there 
might  then  and  there  have  occurred  a  tragedy.  The  instant 
I  fell,  and  before  I  attempted  to  rise,  I  turned  my  head 
quickly  and  looked  my  prisoner  straight  in  the  eye.  I 
found  him  with  eyes  flashing  and  his  Avhole  body  gathered 
for  a  si)ring.  The  moment  I  caught  his  eye,  he  cowered 
before  my  gaze.  Had  I  not  been  prompt,  it  is  quite  possible 
that  my  i)resent  story  might  never  have  been  told.  How- 
ever. I  was  young,  strong,  and  active  then,  and  the  reader 


THE  WOLF.  459 

may  rest  assured  that  I  could  not  have  been  silenced  with- 
out a  determined  and  sanguinary  struggle.  Long  before 
this,  I  had  learned  that  it  was  dangerous  to  fall  in  the  pres- 
ence of  even  a  domesticated  Wolf. 

I  need  scarcely  say  that  I  did  not  trouble  my  amiable 
companion  to  follow  me  any  farther,  lest  I  might  get 
another  fall.  With  one  blow  of  a  stick  which  I  usually 
carried  for  the  purpose,  I  laid  him  out  ready  for  skinning; 
as  doubtless,  in  his  time,  he  had  treated  many  a  beautiful 
Deer  prior  to  devouring  it. 

As  I  have  before  remarked,  the  three  Wolves  which  I 
had  killed  formed  part  of  a  pack  that,  during  a  few  weeks 
before  their  tragical  departure  to  the  happy  hunting- 
grounds,  had  committed  many  serious  depredations.  I  put 
the  succeeding  two,  each  of  which  was  equal  in  size  to  the 
first  one,  through  a  similar  investigating  x)rocess,  but  failed 
to  elicit  anything  new.  I  had  frequently  heard  the  pack  in 
full  cry,  at  night;  and  although,  if  heard  close  at  hand,  the 
sound  might  have  proved  terrifying  to  persons  not  gifted 
with  an  ear  capable  of  appreciating  Nature's  magnificent 
harmonies,  so  far  as  I  am  a  judge  of  music,  the  moonlight 
concert  of  those  Wolves  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  ne  %>lus 
ultra  of  forest  harmony. 

The  Madawaska  River,  which  was  once,  so  far  as  unri- 
valed natural  beauty  could  make  it  so,  the  rushing,  foaming 
q.ueen  of  Ottawa's  peerless  tributaries,  has  along  its  tur- 
bulent course  many  rapids  and  chutes  of  wondrous  grand- 
eur and  beauty.  One  of  those  chutes,  about  one  hundred 
miles  from  the  City  of  Ottawa,  is  called  the  Wolf  Port- 
age. It  was  so  named  on  account  of  the  Wolves  chasing- 
Deer  into  the  water  at  that  point  during  winter.  The 
hunted  Deer  were  in  the  habit  of  rushing  into  the  rapids  to 
escape  the  fangs  of  their  sanguinary  pursuers.  In  catching 
the  Deer  at  the  Wolf  Portage,  the  Wolves  displayed  much 
cunning.  When  a  Deer  took  to  water  at  the  head,  it  was 
quickly  carried  over  the  rough  chute  and  down  the  rapids 
into  the  gradually  narrowing,  ice-inclosed  glade,  or  channel, 
at  the  foot.      Just   at  the   spot   where  the  current   drove 


460  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

it  against  the  ice,  under  which  it  would  immediately  be 
whirled,  a  number  of  the  AVolves  stood  on  the  ice,  and  the 
instant  the  Deer  touched  its  edge,  it  was  seized  by  the 
fierce  and  hungry  animals,  dragged  out  upon  the  ice,  and 
devoured.  In  the  early  lumbering- times  upon  the  Mada- 
waska,  the  skeletons  of  Deer  could  always  be  seen,  in  win- 
ter, lying  on  the  ice  at  the  foot  of  the  Wolf  Portage. 

80  numerous  were  the  Wolves  on  the  Madawaska,  that, 
during  the  years  1840  and  1841,  the  Deer  were  driven  com- 
l^letely  out  of  the  large  section  of  countrj^  lyi^^S  between 
the  High  Falls  and  Keminiskeek  Lake — a  distance  of  sixty 
miles.  In  1844  the  Deer  began  gradually  to  reappear;  and 
when  they  returned  in  force  to  their  old  haunts,  the  Wolves 
followed  them,  hunting  them  back  to  their  old  habitat, 
where  for  years  they  have  been  comparatively  abundant. 

The  old  Stony  Swamp,  on  the  Richmond  road,*  in  the 
Township  of  Nepean,  twelve  miles  from  Ottawa,  was  at 
one  time  much  infested  by  Wolves,  chiefly  on  account  of 
its  having  been  a  famous  fastness  for  Deer.  The  Wolves 
of  the  Stony  Swamp  did  considerable  damage  amongst  the 
flocks  in  the  neighborhood. 

In  connection  with  this  old  road,  I  remember  an  incident 
which  took  place  there  in  the  year  1830.  In  that  early 
period  in  the  history  of  the  Count}^  of  Carleton,  oxen 
were  chiefly  used  for  all  purposes  of  travel  and  draught  by 
the  farmers,  simply  because  they  had  no  horses.  Farm 
produce,  such  as  hay,  oats,  wheat,  corn,  and  potatoes,  Avere 
then  hauled  to  By  town  market  on  ox-sleighs;  and  then,  as 
now,  the  journey  was  partly  performed  in  the  night. 

One  clear,  moonlight  night,  a  farmer  from  the  westerly 
part  of  Xepean  was  driving  his  heavily  iaden  oxen  along 
the  lonely  windings  of  the  road  through  the  Stony 
Swamp.  The  season  was  winter.  He  had  a  small  dog 
with  him,  which  was  running  along  a  short  distance  in 
front  of  the  team.  Suddenly,  he  heard  a  piteous  howl 
from  the  dog,  and  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  sound, 
saw  an  enoraious  AVolf  darting  away  through  the  trees  with 
the  struggling  dog  in  his  mouth. 


THE   WOLF.  461 

During  tlie  first  few  years  after  the  early  settlement  of 
Hull,  Wolves  were  numerous  and  destructive  in  tlie  neigh- 
borhood. The}^  had  killed  many  sheep,  and  had,  also,  very 
much  disturbed  the  minds  of  timid  people  by  their  nightly 
bowlings.  Something  decisive  had  to  be  done  to  abate  the 
nuisance.  A  hunter  set  a  trap,  and  succeeded  in  capturing 
one  of  the  offenders.  He  muzzled  him,  and  skinned  part  of 
his  head  and  sides,  and  then  fastened  a  broad,  red  collar, 
to  which  was  attached  a  bell,  around  his  neck.  The  Wolf 
was  then  liberated;  and,  according  to  the  story,  Wolves 
became  scarce  around  Hull,  and  remained  so  for  many 
years. 

In  October,  1839.  when  the  trees,  the  stately  sentinels  of 
earth,  seemed  to  wear  the  livery  of  heaven,  I  was  out,  one 
morning,  duck-shooting.  The  time  was  the  interval  of  twi- 
light just  preceding  the  dawn.  Suddenly,  I  heard  the  voices 
of  a  large  X)ack  of  Wolves  in  full  cry  after  a  Deer.  The 
River  Goodwood,  upon  the  bank  of  which  I  stood,  is  about 
forty  yards  wide.  The  Wolves  were  running  in  thick 
cover,  a  short  distance  from  the  shore,  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  moment  was  an  exciting  one,  but  I  have  no  recollection 
of  having  been  frightened  in  the  least.  I  stood  close  to  the 
edge  of  the  water,  ready  to  tackle  them  with  a  single- 
barreled  muzzle-loader  charged  with  No.  3  shot,  and  regret- 
ted that  they  did  not  show  themselves.  The  Deer  and  its 
pursuers  passed  rapidly  on  through  the  thick  undergrowth; 
and  shortly  afterward  the  Wolves  caught  the  Deer,  as  indi- 
cated by  the  ceasing  of  their  howls.  Clear  daylight  then 
appeared;  and,  if  I  remember  correctly,  ten  wild  ducks  con- 
stituted the  result  of  my  morning's  tramp  before  breakfast. 
I  had  no  dog  with  me,  and  consequently  had  to  swim  after 
everj^  one  of  them. 

On  various  occasions,  in  many  a  hunt  since  the  occur- 
rence referred  to,  I  have  listened  to  the  matchless  melody 
of  the  hounds  in  full  cry  ui)on  the  steaming  ti-ail  of  the 
Deer.  I  need  scarcely  tell  the  si^ortsman  who  has  been 
there,  how  far  such  a  chorus  sur^Dasses  the  highest  and 
most  scientilic  effort  of  a  full  cornet-band.     Nevertheless, 


462  BIG   GAME   OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

such  a  wild,  weird,  clear- sounding,  musical  performance  as 
that  with  which  I  was  favored  on  the  morning  in  question, 
I  have  never  since  heard. 

The  "angry  growl"  attributed  to  the  Wolf  by  the  nov- 
elist and  the  literary  story-teller — who  possibly  never  saw 
or  heard  one,  and  knows,  i)erhaps,  as  little,  either  practi- 
cally or  theoretically,  about  the  animal  as  the  generality  of 
ordinary  writers  do  about  the  correct  mode  of  writing  the 
Tipperary  idiom — is  just  as  far  from  the  natural  habit 
of  the  Wolf  as  is  its  capacity  for  i)laying  the  Highland 
bagpipe. 

Talking  of  the  bagpipe,  I  once  read  an  account  of  a 
benighted  piper  in  an  American  forest  who  was  surrounded 
by  Wolves,  and,  as  a  last  resort,  he  struck  up  "The  Camp- 
bells are  Coming,"  and  the  result  was  that  the  Wolves 
took  flight  as  if  pursued  by  a  prairie-lire.  Neither  Lion, 
Tiger,  Wolf,  Jaguar,  or  Grizzly  Bear  could  face,  for  one 
minute,  the  charge  of  a  Highland  piper  in  full  blast  with 
the  pibroch. 

Personally,  if  accompanied  by  two  thorough-bred  Bull- 
terriers  of  good  size,  and  armed  with  a  Winchester  repeat- 
ing-rifle,  I  should  be  delighted  at  any  time,  in  daylight,  to 
pay  my  respects  to  six  of  the  largest  AVolves  in  America. 

About  twelve  years  ago,  the  hunting-party  to  which  I 
have  the  honor  to  belong  was  encamped  on  the  bank  of 
Bear  Brook,  about  twelve  miles  from  Ottawa.  It  was  during 
a  very  cold  time,  in  the  month  of  December — a  fact  which  I 
distinctly  remember,  in  consequence  of  having  to  cut  a  large 
supply  of  birch  stove-wood  to  keep  the  tent  warm. 

During  our  stay  in  camp,  on  one  occasion,  about  mid- 
night, we  were  awakened  by  the  howling  of  Wolves  near  at 
hand,  accompanied  by  a  noise  like  that  made  by  a  large 
animal  jumping  through  the  snow.  Rifles  were  grasped,  but 
the  noise  suddenly  ceased,  and  all  again  became  still.  By 
the  tracks  found  in  the  snow,  next  morning,  we  learned  that 
a  large  buck  had  run  within  less  than  twenty  feet  of  the 
back  of  our  tent,  and  had  then  turned  aside.  Upon  follow- 
ing the  tracks  of  the  Deer  a  short  distance,  the  foot-prints 


THE   WOLF.  463 

of  the  Wolves  were  discovered.  We  did  not  follow  the  trail 
far;  had  we  done  so,  we  should  doubtless,  sooner  or  later, 
have  found  the  mangled  remains  of  the  Deer.  Had  the 
buck  given  one  more  jump  from  the  spot  where  his  tracks 
appeared  at  the  back  of  the  tent,  we  should  have  had  an 
immediate  row  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  and  excite- 
ment. I  have  often  regretted  that  the  Deer  and  the  Wolves 
did  not  land  amongst  us.  In  that  case,  I  could  have  given 
you  a  true  story  eclipsing  the  most  florid  narrative  of  the 
most  ingenious  and  accomplished  newspaper  rej^orter  of  the 
XDresent  day. 

Wolves  were  quite  numerous  in  the  Township  of  Glou- 
cester, adjacent  to  the  City  of  Ottawa,  up  to  a  few  years 
ago;  and  doubtless  there  are  many  still,  in  the  solitudes  of 
the  vast  tamarack  and  cedar  swamps  still  existing  within 
less  than  twenty-five  miles  of  the  City  of  Ottawa. 

In  December,  1868,  Doctor  Bell,  of  New  Edinburgh,  was 
driving  through  the  long  swamp  below  Eastman's  Springs. 
At  that  time  there  were  many  Wolves  within  even  ten  miles 
of  the  City  of  Ottawa.  While  jogging  along  at  an  ordinary 
rate,  the  Doctor's  horse  suddenly  became  restive,  pricked 
up  his  ears  in  a  startled  manner,  and  stood  still.  Just  then 
a.  Deer  crossed  the  road  a  few  yards  in  front  of  the  horse. 
The  howling  of  Wolves  close  by  greeted  the  ears  of  the  Doc- 
tor, and  after  a  few  seconds  eleven  of  these  ferocious  sleuth- 
hounds  of  the  forest  rushed  across  the  road  on  the  trail  of 
the  tired  Deer,  which,  without  doubt, was  soon  pulled  down 
and  torn  to  pieces.  What  a  glorious  chance  for  arepeating- 
rifle!  The  worthy  Doctor,  however,  although  a  keen  sports- 
man, was  armed  only  with  what  modern  i3athological 
science  regards  as  the  most  killing  weapon,  at  short  range, 
of  the  faculty — his  lancet. 

Roman  history  tells  us  that  Romulus  and  Remus,  the 
founders  of  the  City  of  the  Seven  Hills,  were  suckled  and 
reared  by  a  she-Wolf.  If  tjiis  story  be  true,  the  foster- 
mother  of  those  distinguished  sons  of  the  Tiber  in  her 
nature  was  not  all  Wolf.  This  incident  has  been  partially 
paralleled  by  the  story  of  Androcles  and  the  Lion,  as  well 


464  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

as  by  that  of  Muldonata  and  the  Puma.  All  three  of  these 
interesting  incidents  are  highly  creditable  to  the  character 
of  the  brute  creation.  It  is  certain  that  the  ancient  Romans, 
as  a  race,  inherited  none  of  the  characteristic  cowardice 
which  fine  drawn  physiological  science  might  trace  to  the 
source  of  their  ancestors'  early  sustenance.  Nevertheless, 
the  blood-thirsty  and  predatory  instincts  of  the  Lupine  race 
were  amply  exemplified  by  the  humane  and  gentle  rule  of 
many  of  the  Roman  Emperors — notably,  Caligula,  Nero, 
Galba,  and  Vitellius. 

In  the  history  of  America,  the  instances  have  been  rare 
indeed  in  which  Wolves  are  authentically  reported  to  have 
attacked  human  beings.  Emboldened  by  numbers  and 
stimulated  by  hunger,  the  Wolves  of  Russia  and  Siberia 
have  for  ages  been  a  standing  threat  and  terror  to  night 
travelers  in  the  inhospitable  countries  mentioned,  in  the 
dangerous  mountain  fastnesses  of  which  tliey  are  met  with 
in  such  multitudes.  In  a  x^^ii't  of  the  world  in  which  the 
humanizing  influences  of  a  refined  civilization  for  hundreds 
of  years  found  no  resting-place,  it  was  the  custom  in  intes- 
tine wars  to  leave  the  dead  and  dying  on  the  field  of  battle — 
to  rot,  or  be  devoured  by  beasts  of  prey.  Is  it  any  wonder 
that,  under  such  conditions,  like  the  Bengal  Tiger,  the 
Wolves  of  Russia  became  man-eaters  ? 

In  contradistinction  to  the  habits  of  their  European  con- 
geners, North  American  Wolves,  although  comparatively 
bold  under  the  x>i't?ssure  of  hunger,  dread  the  presence  of 
man,  and  flee  from  liim,  as  do  the  Deer  and  the  Black  Bear. 

I  remember  a  story  current  in  old  times,  about  a  gigantic 
Indian  named  Clouthier— a  rather  Gallic  designation  for  a 
pure  Algonquin — wlio  was  well  known  to  the  late  Squire 
AVriglit,  the  founder  of  the  ancient  Village  of  Hull.  My 
story  may  be  quite  true  in  every  particular,  for  the  Indian 
in  question  was  of  Herculean  proportions  and  almost 
superhuman  strength.  On  one  of  his  hunting  excursions, 
Clouthier  was  attacked  and  torn  to  pieces  by  a  large  i)ack 
of  AVolves.  It  was  surmised  l)y  those  who  discovered  his 
remains   and  fragments  of  his  clothing,  that  after  he  had 


THE   WOLF.  465 

shot  one  of  his  assailants  with  his  single-barreled,  flint-lock 
gun,  he  had  drawn  his  tomahawk  from  his  belt,  and  fought 
desperately  for  his  life.  From  the  number  of  skulls  and 
other  portions  of  the  bodies  of  the  Wolves  found  at  the 
scene  of  the  tragedy,  it  was  concluded  that  the  Indian  had 
killed  fourteen  of  the  Wolves  before  he  had  been  over- 
powered— all  of  which  had  been  devoured  by  their  fellows 
excepting  the  bones.  Like  his  scriptural  prototype,  the 
Algonquin  Sampson  did  not  fall  unavenged. 

In  connection  with  my  subject,  the  following  story  may 
prove  interesting.  It  is  an  old  tradition  now,  I  shall  give 
it  as  told  by  a  great-grandson  of  the  hero  of  the  tale,  who 
died,  in  this  county,  about  ten  years  ago.  Whether  true 
or  not,  it  is  a  credited  tradition  amongst  the  Tete  du  Boule 
Indians,  who  inhabit  the  region  surrounding  the  ux)per  and 
head  waters  of  the  Gatineau,  one  of  the  largest  tributaries 
of  the  Ottawa  River,  the  point  of  confluence  of  which  with 
the  latter  stream  is  within  about  one  mile  of  the  north- 
eastern limits  of  the  City  of  Ottawa. 

During  the  early  settlement  of  Canada  by  the  French,  an 
adventurous  hunter  named  Baptiste  Sabourin  jDenetrated 
this  northern  wilderness,  and  began  trapping  and  hunting 
within  the  limits  of  the  hunting-grounds  of  the  Tete  du 
Boule  Indians,  about  two  hundred  miles  north  of  the 
Ottawa  River,  His  adventure  was  a  daring  one,  but  the 
temptation  was  great,  as,  at  that  early  day,  the  forests 
were  full  of  game.  Moose,  Caribou,  Otters,  Beavers,  Bears, 
and  Black  Foxes  abounded  in  those  primeval  solitudes,  the 
peltries  of  which  could  be  advantageously  disposed  of 
at  Montreal  and  Quebec. 

Sabourin  had  been  hunting  but  a  short  time  when  he 
was  discovered  and  surj^rised  by  a  party  of  Indians,  who 
took  him  x^risoner  and  brought  him  before  Wanonga,  the 
chief  of  the  Tete  du  Boules.  A  council  was  called,  and 
after  the  usual  deliberations,  the  daring  hunter  was  con- 
demned to  death;  but,  as  in  the  case  of  Pocahontas  and 
Captain  John  Suiith,  the  execution  of  the  sentence  was 

30 


466  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

arrested  by  the  liand  of  a  woman.  The  French  hunter 
appears  to  have  been  a  fine,  handsome  fellow,  twenty -live 
years  of  age,  six  feet  tall,  and  of  lithe,  manly  proportions. 
His  admirnble  proportions  and  physical  beauty  had  made  a 
strong  impression  upon  Tamiroo,  the  only  daughter  of  the 
chief,  a  lovely  girl  of  eighteen,  whose  stately,  upright 
figure,  finely  cut  features,  and  flashing  black  eyes  had  not 
escai)ed  the  notice  of  the  condemned  man. 

When  the  prisoner  was  about  to  be  delivered  over  to 
the  tender  mercies  of  the  elder  Indian  woUien,  the  chiefs 
daughter  interceded  with  her  father  for  his  life.  Ker  inter- 
cession proved  successful,  and  Sabourin  became  a  member 
of  the  tribe.  A  mutual  affection,  or  a  case  of  "  love  at  first 
sight,"  seems  to  have  influenced  the  two  young  people,  for, 
after  a  short  residence  with  the  Indians,  the  couple  were 
married  according  to  the  nuptial  ceremonial  of  the  tribe, 
and  Sabourin  remained  to  the  end  of  his  life  among  his 
dusky  friends.  In  the  course  of  time  he  became  the  most 
expert  and  daring  hunter  amongst  them. 

Late  in  the  fall,  (Ui  one  of  his  liunting  excursions,  the 
white  hunter  encountered  two  large  bucks  of  the  Woodland 
Caribou  species.  They  had  been  fighting,  and  their  antlers 
became  interlocked  in  a  most  inextricable  manner.  Strange 
to  say,  and  entirely  contrary  to  what  a  pure  Indian  would 
have  done,  he  did  not  kill  them,  but  immediately  re^mired 
to  the  camp  for  assistance  to  take  them  alive.  In  company 
with  a  number  of  Indians,  he  returned  to  the  scene  of 
battle,  and  the  two  animals  were  secured,  and  bound  with 
strong  thongs  of  Deer-skin.  Afterward,  they  were  sepa- 
rated by  cutting  away  a  prong  or  two  from  the  antlers  of 
one  of  them. 

The  animals,  securely  bound,  were  then  drawn  on  tobog- 
gans to  tlie  camp.  A  suitable  inclosure  was  then  formed, 
in  which  they  were  placed.  They  were  liberally  supplied 
witli  mosses,  lichens,  and  other  food,  by  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  community,  and  soon  became  tame  and  docile. 
After  a  few  montlis'  confinement,  they  became  great  pets, 
and  in  dim  time  were  liberated,  and  the  gate  of  the  inclos- 


THE   WOLF.  467 

ure  was  left  open.  For  many  days  they  did  not  leave  the 
vicinity  of  the  camp.  Finally,  they  became  almost  as 
domestic  in  their  habits  as  cows.  They  frequently  wan- 
dered off  in  the  woods,  but  invariably,  returned  in  the  even- 
ing and  slept  in  the  inclosure;  although  on  many  occasions 
they  remained  feeding  upon  the  plains  all  night,  and  then 
would  come  back  in  the  morning. 

About  a  year  after  the  capture  of  the  animals,  and  when 
they  were  unusually  tame,  Sabourin  conceived  the  idea  of 
training  them  to  harness.  He  made  a  set  of  rude  harness 
out  of  the  thick,  strong  hide  of  the  Moose;  and  before  hitch- 
ing them  to  his  traine  sausage,  he  drove  them  around 
abreast  for  some  days,  at  the  first  trial  having  them  led  by 
one  of  the  young  Indian  boys.  After  about  three  weeks  of 
patient  training,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  able  to 
drive  them  wherever  he  pleased,  as  the  Laplander  does  his 
Reindeer.  In  his  hunting  excursions,  Sabourin  found  his 
horned  team  of  trotters  of  the  greatest  use.  On  the  wide, 
open  plains,  he  was  accustomed  to  drive  close  up  to  a  herd 
of  Caribou  without  alarming  them  in  the  least,  and  thus 
was  enabled  to  obtain  many  a  sure  and  successful  shot 
without  subjecting  himself  to  the  labor  and  fatigue  of  a 
slow  and  protracted  stalk  upon  this  wary  game. 

According  to  the  story,  the  two  Deer  remained  with  the 
hunter  for  eight  years.  They  were  frequently  absent  in  the 
forest  for  two  or  three  days  at  a  time,  but,  strange  to  say, 
never  appeared  to  separate,  and  never  failed  to  return.  The 
younger  members  of  the  tribe  wondered  at  what  they 
thought  the  magic  of  the  white  man,  attested  by  the  taming 
of  such  proverbially  wild  and  shy  animals.  To  some  of  the 
elders  of  the  tribe,  however,  the  accomplishment  of  the  dif- 
ficult task  did  not  seem  so  unaccountable.  They  appeared 
to  have  had  a  dim  recollection  of  a  tradition,  handed  down 
from  one  generation  to  another,  from  the  far-back  past, 
that  their  remote  ancestors,  in  other  lands,  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  use  the  Reindeer  for  similar  purposes. 

Can  it  be  that  a  possibility  exists  of  a  lineal  relationship 
existing  between  the  Laplanders  and  the  aborigines  of  the 


468  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

North  American  Continent?  Tliere  certainly  appear  to 
exist  some  strongly  marked  physical  similarities  between 
the  Tete  dii  Boiile  Indians  and  the  Lai^landers. 

Now  I  am  obliged  to  come  to  the  melancholy  and  tragic 
part  of  the  story,  which,  were  it  a  mere  fiction,  instead  of 
a  generally  accepted  tradition  in  the  unwritten  records  of 
the  tribe,  I  should  tell  in  a  different  manner. 

On  one  occasion,  as  usual  with  him,  Sabourin  was  out 
alone,  hunting  Caribou.  He  had  driven  his  team  up  to  a 
herd,  and  had  succeeded  in  killing  two  of  their  number. 
He  was  then  about  twenty  miles  from  home.  Shortly 
before  sunset,  he  had  fastened  the  carcasses  to  his  sledge 
and  started  for  home,  which  he  expected  to  reach  in  a 
couple  of  hours. 

Night  had  fallen,  and  while  passing  through  a  pine  for- 
est, he  was  suddenly  startled  by  the  howling  of  Wolves 
close  at  hand;  and  before  he  could  unloose  and  throw  the 
carcasses  off  his  sledge,  the  savage  animals,  in  great  num- 
bers, rushed  upon  his  team,  both  of  which  they  i)ulled 
down  and  tore  to  pieces  in  a  few  minutes.  Meanwhile,  the 
hunter  had  climbed  to  the  branches  of  a  pine-tree.  He 
carried  his  gun  up  with  him,  and  commenced  firing  down 
ujDon  the  dark  mass  of  Wolves.  He  killed  a  number 
of  them,  as  was  seen  afterward,  which  were  soon  devoured 
by  their  fellows;  but  his  ammunition  soon  became  ex- 
hausted.    Still  the  blood-roused  monsters  kei)t  watch. 

Daylight  at  last  came,  and  all  was  silence  in  that  dreary 
solitude.  Not  having  arrived  at  the  camp,  fears  were  felt 
for  his  safety,  and  a  searching-party  started  u^Don  his  trail 
next  day,  and  on  arriving  at  the  scene  of  the  last  night's 
tragedy,  they  discovered  the  missing  man  still  seated  on  a 
branch  of  the  pine,  about  twelve  feet  from  the  ground. 
One  of  the  Indians  climbed  up,  after  vainly  uttering  many 
shouts  to  wake  him  from  his  sleep,  as  they  imagined,  and 
upon  touching  the  hunter,  he  found  that  he  was  dead.  He 
had  been  frozen  stiff. 

It  is  well  known  that  intense  cold  superinduces  sleep. 
Tlie  Indians  rightly   concluded   that   poor    Sabourin  had 


ENFANT  PERDU." 


THE  WOLF.  469 

fallen  asleep;  and  so  it  was.  Worn  out  by  fatigue,  anxiety, 
and  watching,  he  was  seized  by  that  fatal  and  everlasting 
slumber  which,  in  this  world,  knows  no  waking. 

Tamiroo  was  stricken  with  frantic  grief  at  the  tragical 
death  of  her  husband,  for  whom  she  had  entertained  the 
most  constant  and  fervent  affection.  She  mourned  sincerely 
for  him  for  many  months.  After  the  period  of  her  devoted 
mourning  was  at  an  end,  being  still  comparatively  young, 
her  hand  was  sought  by  a  number  of  the  most  distin- 
guished warriors  of  the  tribe;  but,  ever  true  to  the  memory 
of  the  last  jDartner  of  her  life,  she  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  their 
entreaties,  and  devoted  herself  to  the  rearing  of  her  two 
sons  in  those  valued  branches  of  wood-craft  essential  to  the 
character  of  a  brave  warrior  and  expert  hunter.  At  the 
present  day,  the  very  best  blood  of  the  Tete  du  Boules  can 
be  traced  back  to  the  intrepid  hunter,  Baptiste  Sabourin. 

Were  my  narrative  simply  a  romance  of  fancy,  I  might 
have  ended  it  by  causing  the  faithful,  bereaved  wife,  under 
the  influence  of  a  paroxysm  of  grief,  to  precipitate  herself 
from  some  convenient  cliff,  or  to  end  her  sorrows  beneath 
the  waters  of  some  j^lacid  lake.  I  have  preferred,  however, 
to  relate  the  incidents  of  the  tragedy  as  they  have  been 
chronicled  and  handed  down  by  the  traditions  of  the  tribe. 
I  have  said  chronicled,  for  it  is  well  known  that,  in  many 
of  the  aboriginal  tribes,  records  of  famous  and  notable 
events  are  perpetuated  by  signs  and  symbols  inscribed  or 
depicted  upon  rolls  of  smooth  birch-bark. 

Hunting  the  Wolf  in  Canada  is  chiefly  confined  to  trap- 
ping, or  poisoning  by  strychnine,  the  latter  being  a  ques- 
tionable and  unsportsmanlike  mode  of  destroying  wild 
animals,  which,  except  in  very  peculiar  cases,  ought  to  be 
frowned  upon  and  discouraged.  Many  of  the  animals 
killed  by  poison  wander  off  a  long  distance  before  they 
die,  suffering  dreadful  torture,  and  are  never  found. 

Wolves  are  seldom  seen  in  the  woods,  even  by  those 
whose  vocations  oblige  tliem  continually  to  travel  through 
the  most  solitary  fastnesses.  .  So  keen  is  the  eye  and  the 


470  BKJ   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

ear,  and  so  acute  is  the  Wolfs  sense  of  smell,  that  the 
hunter  or  bush-ranger  is  either  seen,  scented,  or  heard  before 
he  has  any  idea  that  a  Wolf  had  been  near.  'Now  and 
then  an  accidental  shot  may  be  obtained,  but  even  such 
chances  are  few  and  far  between.  « 

Six  years  ago,  I  saw  an  enormous  Wolf  on  the  Mada- 
waska  River.  He  had  been  started  by  another  hunter  from 
the  top  of  a  mountain,  and  had  rushed  down  the  side  of  a 
ravine,  at  the  end  of  which  I  was  watching  for  him.  AVhen 
nearly  within  range,  he  jumped  up,  and  ^tood  upon  a  log 
behind  two  pine-trees,  wliicli  concealed  every  part  of  his 
body  but  his  nose  and  the  end  of  his  tail.  Neither  of  the 
visible  parts  being  as  vulnerable  as  the  nose  of  a  bear,  I 
waited  for  him  to  advance  one  more  step.  This  he  did  not 
do,  but  jumped  off  the  log  and  disappeared  in  the  thick 
brush  and  tall  weeds.  Thus  I  lost  my  chance  of  getting  a 
grand  trophy,  and  thus,  owing  to  his  escape,  I  feel  con- 
vinced that  many  a  beautiful  Deer  afterward  lost  its  life. 

Spearing  the  Gray  AVolf  on  the  open  prairies,  in  the 
style  of  "  x)ig-sticking  "  in  India,  is  a  most  exciting  kind 
of  sport.  Some  of  the  more  expert  cowboys  also  have  great 
sport  roping  him.  This  is  usually  only  practiced  where 
several  of  the  men  are  riding  together,  in  order  that  they 
may  harass  and  turn  the  Wolf  at  frequent  intervals,  thus 
breaking  his  speed  and  playing  into  each  other's  hands. 

These  runs  are  not,  however,  always  unattended  by  dan- 
ger, occasioned  by  badger-holes  and  prairie-dog  towns, 
which  are  frequently  encountered  in  the  chase.  But  tlie 
grandest  sport  with  tlie  Gray,  or,  as  he  is  called  on  the 
I^lains,  the  Timber  Wolf,  may  be  enjoj^ed  in  coursing  the 
animal  with  strong  and  courageous  Greyhounds.  Although 
the  Gray  Wolf  is  an  animal  of  great  speed  and  endurance, 
he  is  soon  overtaken  by  the  lleet-footed  Gazeliounds,  which 
snap  at  and  wound  him  with  their  powerful  jaws  and  teeth, 
and  by  their  extreme  agility  avoid  his  dangerous  attacks, 
k<'('i)ing  him  at  bay  until  the  mounted  hunter  arrives  and 
terminates  the  chase  by  a  well-directed  pistol-shot.  In 
f'onsequence  of  the  swiftne.-s  and  great  staying  powers  of 


THE   WOLF.  471 

the  Wolf,  for  a  time  this  kind  of  hunting  taxes  all  the 
energies  of  the  hounds.  The  speed  of  the  Wolf,  neverthe- 
less, when  contrasted  with  the  lightning  performances  of 
the  telex)hone  of  tlie  prairies— the  jack-rabbit,  or  great  Ijare 
of  the  plains — is  comparatively  trifling. 

It  has  been  affirmed  by  the  earlier  naturalists  that  the 
aborigines  of  North  America,  before  the  advent  of  white 
men,  had  domesticated  Wolves  instead  of  dogs.  This 
account  can  readily  be  credited  by  anyone  acquainted  with 
the  character  and  appearance  of  the  Indian  dog  of  even 
the  present  day.  While  smaller  in  size — a  condition  super- 
induced by  ages  of  starvation — the  Indian  dog  of  the  pres- 
ent is  peculiarly  and  positively  wolfish  in  appearance. 

It  is  a  notable  fact  that  an  irreconcilable  antipathy  has 
always  existed  between  our  domestic  dog  and  the  tamed 
Wolf  of  the  Indians.  In  their  constant  combats  and  quar- 
rels with  each  other,  the  former  are  always  the  aggressors. 
The  Indian  dogs  always  act  upon  the  defensive,  usually 
trying  to  avoid  a  conflict  with  their  more  courageous 
kinsmen. 

During  the  period  when  the  lordly  Bison  frequented  and 
ornamented,  with  the  grandeur  of  his  magnitude,  the  lim- 
itless i^rairies  of  the  Great  Northwest  in  countless  millions, 
the  Wolf  was  his  persistent  and  perpetual  enemy;  tracking 
the  calves,  the  old,  the  wounded,  and  the  lielj^less,  until  an 
opportunity  presented  itself  for  a  safe  attack.  Wolves 
never  dared  to  attack  a  herd,  or  even  a  full-grown  animal  in 
full  vigor,  but  waited  patiently  for  a  chance  to  fall  upon 
the  disabled.  A  single  White  Arctic  Wolf  will  run  down 
a  Barren-ground  Caribou,  and  by  one  savage  bite  in  the 
flank  disable  the  largest  buck.  Sir  John  Richardson — a 
celebrated  Arctic  explorer,  who  has  contributed  many 
interesting  and  valuable  facts  x)ertaining  to  the  fauna  of 
Northern  America  to  the  general  fund  of  natural  history — 
tells  us  that  the  Wolves  of  that  region  run  down  and  capt- 
ure Foxes  whenever  they  find  them  on  the  open  plains  at 
a  distance  from  their  underground  dens.  A  large  White 
Wolf  has  sufficient  strength  to  carry  oft"  an  Arctic  Fox  in 


472  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

his  mouth,  at  a  rate  of  speed  far  surpassing  that  of  hunters 
upon  snow-shoes.  They  frequently,  also,  attack  and  carry 
off  the  sleigh-dogs  of  the  Indians. 

The  Northern  Indians  improve  the  breed  of  their  sleigh- 
dogs  by  crossing  them  with  the  Wolf.  This  process  adds 
to  their  size,  s])eed,  and  strength.  The  voice  of  the  Wolf 
and  tliat  of  the  Indian  dog,  to  my  own  personal  knowledge, 
in  volume  and  sound  are  strikingly  similar.  I  remember 
having  hunted  Deer,  many  years  ago,  with  a  laige-sized 
Indian  dog.  He  was  one  of  the  best  dogs  that  I  ever 
turned  loose  upon  a  Deer-track.  As  he  unflaggingly  pur- 
sued his  quarry,  his  tongue  was  distinctly  and  unmistak- 
ably the  howl  of  a  Wolf — loud,  clear,  and  prolonged,  with- 
out a  single  sliarj:)  bark  like  that  of  a  dog.  This  dog,  true 
to  the  blood  of  his  ancestry,  never  failed  to  find  a  Deer,  if 
there  was  one  within  reach;  and  when  once  the  game  was 
found,  he  stuck  to  the  trail,  like  his  wild  progenitors,  until 
he  tasted  blood. 

When  I  speak  of  Indian  dogs,  I  do  not  mean  the  miser- 
able, diminutive  race  of  curs  generally  found  in  starving 
annoyance  around  an  Indian  camp  to-day.  Such  attenu- 
ated whelps,  in  my  oi:)inion,  can  trace  their  origin  to  the 
Fox;  certainly  not  to  the  Wolf.  I  allude  to  the  strong  and 
hardy  Wolf-dogs  as  the  traveler  finds  them,  drawing  the 
sleighs  of  the  Indians  in  the  Xorthwest,  and  speeding  the 
Eskimos  over  the  snow,  beneath  the  crackling  fiame  of 
the  Aurora  Borealis,  in  the  Arctic  Circle. 

The  Inte  Sheriff  Dickson,  of  Pakenham.  who  during 
many  years  of  his  life  was  a  most  successful  Deer-hunter, 
and  an  enthusiastic  student  of  geology,  in  an  article  on 
the  Gray  Wolf,  published  many  years  ago  in  "Billing's 
Canadian  Xaturalist  and  Geologist,"  gives  us  many  inter- 
esting i)arti('ulars  respecting  the  Wolf.  From  personal 
experience,  he  bears  testimony  to  the  proverbial  cowardice 
of  Wolves.  He  states  that  when  caught  in  a  trap,  wounded 
by  a  gunshot,  or  cornered  up  so  that  they  could  notescax:>e, 
he  invariably  killed  them  with  a  club  or  a  tomahawk  with- 
out nieetini;  anv  resistance.    AVhen  in  numbers,  he  had  seen 


THE    WOLF.  473 

Wolves  display  boldness  after  they  had  pulled  down  a 
Deer;  but  they  always  gave  way  when  a  shot  was  fired 
among  them.  The  experience  of  Mr.  Dickson  corresponds 
in  all  points  with  my  own. 

When  pursued  by  Wolves,  Deer  make  for  the  nearest 
water,  in  which  thej^  have  a  chance  to  escape,  being  able  to 
swim  much  faster  than  their  enemies.  Should  the  river  or 
lake  be  narrow,  the  Deer  generally  swim  either  up  or  down, 
seldom  straight  across;  frequently  landing,  after  a  detour, 
on  the  same  side  in  which  they  entered  the  water.  By  this 
means  the  Wolves  are  puzzled  and  put  off  the  scent.  If 
there  are  thick  weeds  or  brush  along  the  shore,  a  Deer  fre- 
quently sinks  his  body  under  water  so  that  no  x^art  will 
appear  above  the  surface  but  his  head,  and  by  this  means  is 
enabled  to  evade  the  cunning  of  his  pursuers.  On  glare-ice, 
the  Wolf  soon  ends  the  chase.  When  frightened,  the 
Deer  falls  at  every  bound,  and  is  easily  overtaken. 

Should  the  Deer  be  driven  into  a  strong  rapid,  and  the 
Wolves  attempt  to  follow,  they  get  swept  off  their  feet,  and 
are  carried  down  the  rapids.  Should  one  of  them  hold  his 
own,  and  approach  close  enough,  a  large  buck  will  often  kill 
him  with  a  blow  of  his  sharp  hoof.  Courageous  hounds  are 
often  killed  in  the  same  manner.  When  there  is  a  crust  on 
the  snow  which  will  bear  the  Wolves,  but  which  is  not 
strong  enough  to  sujjport  the  Deer,*  vast  numbers  of  the 
latter  are  killed  by  those  sanguinary  marauders. 

From  x)ersonal  experience,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  assign- 
ing to  the  AVolf  of  the  Ottawa  Valley— the  typical  Gray 
Wolf  of  North  America — if  not  a  preeminence  in  size  and 
weight,  at  least  an  equality  in  magnitude,  and  in  all  other 
amiable  characteristics  of  the  genus  LiLrpus,  with  his  blood 
relations  of  any  other  land. 


COURSING  THE  GRAY  WOLF.* 


By  Duncan  S.  Cage. 


LIVED  some  years  in  the  Texas  Panhandle,  where  the 
question  as  to  the  best  dog  to  use  in  coursing  the  Gray 
Wolf  WHS  a  vital  one,  and  my  experience  in  the  mat- 
^  ter  may  prove  of  interest  to  other  lovers  of  that  grand 
sport.  Let  me  premise  by  saying  that  I  firmly  believe  that 
any  dog — no  matter  of  what  breed  or  strength — that  will, 
single-handed,  seize  and  hold  his  grij)  on  a  Gray  Wolf  will 
hardly  survive  his  first  encounter.  The  thick  hair  and 
tough,  loose  skin  of  the  Wolf  protect  him  from  serious 
injury  from  the  dog's  teeth,  while  his  own  x^owerful  fangs 
cut  at  each  snap  like  a  circular-saw.  Of  course,  where  a 
number  of  large  dogs,  of  almost  any  breed,  close  in  on  a 
Wolf,  they  may,  in  a  combined  attack,  easily  pull  him 
down  and  kill  him,  whereas  it  would  be  suicidal  for  any 
one  or  two  of  them  to  attempt  it  alone. 

My  conclusion  was,  that  if  destruction  of  the  Wolves 
is  the  only  object,  the  ordinary  Fox-hound  is  by  odds  the 
best;  not  that  dogs  of  this  breed  can  capture  or  kill  his 
Wolfship,  but  they  trail  him  to  his  den,  and  this  once 
located,  his  death  is  easily  compassed.  We  used  to  use 
balls  of  cotton  soaked  in  liquid  carbolic  acid  and  turpen- 
tine, and,  igniting  them,  throw  them  in.  In  most  cases  this 
soon  brought  the  game  out,  so  nearly  suffocated  that  he 
could  be  killed  with  a  club — though  I  must  say  we  did  not 
practice  this  mode  of  dispatching  him.  A  wheezing,  foam- 
ing, staggering  Wolf  might  well  bluff  the  Sorosis  Club 
itself;  so  we  generally  preferred  to  pierce  him  with  bullets, 

*  From  Sports  Afield,  by  kind  jiermission  of  the  publishers. 
(475; 


476  BI«   (JAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

while  we  stood  at  a  safe  distance.  This  method  was  effect- 
ive in  the  whelping-season,  and  men  were  employed  spe- 
cially for  this  work  on  the  ranch  where  I  was  then  working 
— one  of  the  largest  in  that  section.  There  is,  however, 
little  sport  in  this;  but,  with  the  proper  accessories,  the 
Wolf  furnishes  as  exciting  a  run  as  the  most  enthusiastic 
rider  could  wish. 

To  my  mind,  there  is  always  something  lacking  in  a 
sport  where  the  game  is  helpless  when  caught.  No  matter 
how  the  pulses  throb  during  the  wild  chase,  there  is  always 
a  sharp  revulsion  when  the  hoarse,  agonized  bleat  of  the 
Anteloi)e  tells  that  the  fangs  of  his  fierce  pursuers  are  rend- 
ing his  fleet  limbs,  or  even  when  the  sharp  scream  of  the 
jack-rabbit  ends  the  chase;  but  there  are  no  such  com- 
punctions when  the  cruel  Wolf  feels  the  tortures  he  has  so 
often  inflicted  on  others;  and  he  is  a  formidable  adversary 
when,  grim  and  bristling,  he  turns  at  bay. 

As  to  the  question  of  speed,  it  is  mostly  a  matter  of 
condition.  A  gorged  Wolf  is  not  fast,  and  I  have  shot 
several  in  this  state  by  running  up  to  them  on  average  cow- 
ponies;  but  when  prox3erly  "gaunted,"  few  horses  can  catch 
a  Gray  Wolf;  and  they  have  tremendous  endurance. 

On  the  ranch  I  mentioned,  we  had  seven  cross-bred  Stag- 
hounds  and  Greyhounds  that  ran  and  fought  well  together, 
and  we  all  looked  forward  each  season  to  the  brief  interval 
between  the  close  of  winter  work  and  the  spring  round-up, 
when  we  would  have  leisure  for  hunting.  Though  we  killed 
many  Gray  Wolves,  it  was  always  necessary  to  shoot  them 
after  the  dogs  overhauled  them.  They  could  keep  the 
Wolves  down,  but  could  not  kill  them. 

1  shall  never  forget  the  flrst  one  they  caught.  Wolves 
had  shown  up  numerously  that  winter,  and  in  my  camp  we 
were  all  eager  to  go  into  headquarters  in  spring  and  take 
the  dogs  out  after  them.  Many  were  the  speculations  as  to 
how  the  dogs  would  come  out — whether  they  would  tackle 
the  Wolf,  etc. 

At  last  the  momentous  day  arrived;  and  behold  us,  six  in 
number,  mounted  on  our  "top-horses,"   sallying  forth  in 


COURSING  THE  GRAY    WOLF.  477 

search  of  our  wily  foes.     How  the  day  comes  back  to  me 
now  as  my  mind  reverts  to  it,  and 

"  Old  memories  crowd  upon  me; 
Old  forms  go  trooping  past." 

The  day  was  perfect.  The  breath  of  spring  was  in  the 
air;  a  subtle  perfume  rose  from  the  tender  grass  crushed 
under  our  horses'  feet  as  they  moved  under  us  with  that 
strong  and  springy  step  which  is  in  itself  a  Joy.  Our  gal]ant 
dogs  were  all  eagerness  as  they  threw  their  lithe  forms  in 
the  air  and  bounded  with  delighted  yelps  around  us.  We 
were  all  true  friends  and  comrades.  What  more  could 
mortal  wish  ? 

In  the  distance  rose  the  abrupt  wall  of  the  great  Staked 
Plain,  and  around  us  stretched  the  gently  rolling  Valley  of 
the  Canadian,  with  its  emerald  carpet  of  buffalo-grass — an 
ideal  coursing-ground.  Antelope  were  in  sight  in  many 
places;  but  to-day  our  thoughts  were  on  fiercer  game,  and 
we  avoided  them,  keeping  the  dogs  close  to  us.  Thus  we  rode 
for  several  miles,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  Wolves,  but 
beginning  to  fear  that  we  were  doomed  to  disappointment. 

At  length,  glancing  toward  a  ridge  on  the  left,  I  caught  a 
fleeting  glimpse  of  some  animal  disappearing  over  its  crest. 
Hardly  daring  to  hope  that  it  was  a  Wolf,  we  galloped  to 
the  top  of  the  ridge,  and  a  simultaneous  yell  broke  from  our 
lips  as,  less  than  two  hundred  yards  away,  moving  along 
with  that  indescribably  lazy  and  insolent  lope  he  assumes 
when  he  thinks  a  safe  distance  is  between  him  and  an 
enemy,  we  saw  a  large  Gra}'  AVolf. 

At  the  sound  of  our  voices,  he  glanced  back,  and,  drop- 
ping his  insouciance^  lit  out  like  a  gray  streak;  and  well  he 
might,  for  behind  him  the  dogs  were  vaulting  across  the 
prairie  with  the  velocity,  almost,  of  so  many  arrows,  and 
were  closing  in  on  the  fated  prowler  despite  his  most 
strenuous  efforts  to  leave  them  behind.  The  horses,  strain- 
ing every  nerve,  as  in  a  quarter- race,  were  keeping  well  up; 
while,  to  ease  our  minds,  encourage  the  dogs,  and  rattle  the 
Wolf,  we  were  giving  vent  to  yells  which  would  not  have 
discredited  a   Comanche.      The    do^-s   were   runnino-    well 


478  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

bunched,  and  gaining  rapidly.  Now  a  quarter  has  been  run, 
and  hardly  twenty  yards  sef)arate  them  from  the  chase.  Our 
yells  redouble  as,  with  a  magnificent  sjDurt,  our  favorite, 
Kate,  shoots  out  from  the  press,  and,  with  strides  the  eye 
can  scarcely  follow,  closes  on  the  Wolf  as  if  he  were  tied. 
Quick  as  thought  he  turns  at  bay;  but  Kate  avoids  the 
gleaming  fangs,  and  seizes  his  hind  leg  as  she  flies  past. 
Both  come  to  the  ground  with  the  shock,  and  before  he  can 
rise  the  pack  is  on  him.  In  a  moment  more  we  are  up. 
Each  man  shouts  encouragement  to  the  dogs,  holding 
aloft  his  ready  six-shooter  in  one  hand,  while  the  other 
restrains  his  plunging  horse  as  the  animal  rears  from  the 
writhing,  growling  mass  almost  under  his  feet.  Several 
sharp  yelps  tell  of  cuts  inflicted  by  the  clashing  jaws  of  the 
grim  quarry,  and  each  of  us  is  waiting  for  a  chance  to  fire 
without  danger  to  the  dogs  or  horses.  The  dogs  fight  with 
courage  and  skill — with  quick,  sharj)  snaps — leaping  back 
out  of  reach;  for  the  dog  that  holds  his  grip  on  a  Wolf,  in 
the  language  of  the  range,  "may  linger,  but  he  can't  stay." 

Suddenly,  with  a  mighty  effort,  the  wolf  shakes  himself 
free  from  his  foes  and  gains  his  feet.  What  a  picture  of 
ferocity  I  —his  rumpled  hair  bristling,  jaws  dripping  bloody 
foam,  gray  eyes  glaring  with  demoniac  fury.  Small  won- 
der that  the  dogs  shrink  for  a  moment  into  a  wider  circle  ! 
He  sees  his  chance,  and  makes  a  dasji  for  liberty;  but  it  is 
fatal,  for  it  brings  him  past  the  best  shot  on  the  range. 
Judy,  the  nearest  dog,  bounds  on  the  Wolf;  but,  ere  she 
touches  him,  the  shot  has  sped,  and  he  lies  quivering  on 
the  ground. 

The  dogs  rush  in,  worry  and  mangle  him  to  their  heart's 
content.  We  dismount,  and  placing  our  hats  on  the 
ground,  pour  the  water  from  our  canteens  in  their  indented 
crowns  to  refresh  our  panting  allies.  A  brief  rest  is  taken, 
during  which  praise  and  petting  is  lavished  on  our  proud 
dogs,  Kate  coming  in  for  a  double  share;  and  having 
secured  the  scalp  of  our  victim,  we  return  leisurely  to  fight 
the  battle  over  again  over  the  bountiful  ranch  dinner,  and 
plan  new  forays  against  the  marauding  Wolves. 


THE  WOLVERINE. 


By  C.  a.  Cooper  ("  Sibyllene"). 


,^    XCEPT   to  naturalists   and  dwellers  in  the  Arctic 
regions,  the  characteristics  of  the  Wolverine  are  but 


slightly  known.  In  the  temperate  and  torrid  zones, 
we  find  i)eople  able  to  minutely  describe  the  hoop- 
snake;  but  ask  these  peoi)le,  or  even  their  better-infonned 
neighbors,  what  they  know  about  the  Wolverine,  and  if 
you  do  not  get  the  answer,  "  Well,  there  are  plenty  of  them 
in  Michigan,  but  I  never  hai^pened  to  see  one,"  you  will 
probably  be  given  some  of  the  fifteenth-century  theories  of 
Olaus  Magnus,  a  better  archbishop  than  naturalist,  whose 
writings  upon  this  animal  have  been  handed  down  with 
clock-work  regularity. 

Naturally,  there  are  various  causes  for  this  lack  of 
knowledge,  the  first  and  foremost  being  that  the  Wolverine 
has  virtually  been  exterminated  within  the  borders  of  the 
United  States.  Even  in  the  "good  old  days"  there  were 
comparatively  few  of  them. 

The  menageries  and  zoological  gardens  know  him  not, 
and  his  stuffed  form  is  principally  noted  for  its  absence 
from  a  majority  of  the  museums  throughout  the  land. 
Were  it  not  for  the  frequent  revival  of  the  name,  through 
Michigan  being  known  as  the  Wolverine  State,  the  fact 
that  such  an  animal  exists  would  be  unknown  to  a  majority 
of  the  busy  people  of  this  continent. 

Being  nocturnal,  wary,  and  solitary  in  habit,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  Wolverine  is  so  seldom  seen;  especially 
as  it  now  inhabits  only  the  boreal  regions,  or  the  most 
secluded  portions  of  elevated  forests  in  the  north  temper- 
ate zone.  With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  points  in 
British  America,  it  can  not  be  said  to  hj^ve  been  abundant 

(479) 


480  BIG   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMERICA. 

at  any  time,  as  the  following  partial  comparative  record  of 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  sales  conclusively  shows:  "Sa- 
bles, four  millions;  minks,  two  and  a  half  millions;  otters, 
one  and  a  half  millions;  Wolverines,  one  hundred  thou- 
sand." 

Except  when  some  overwise  old  Wolverine  has  taken  a 
contract  to  persistently  destroy  their  traps,  the  Hudson's 
Bay  trapi^ers  do  not  make  them  a  particular  object  of  pur- 
suit, on  account  of  their  extreme  cunning,  and  scarcity, 
and  their  mid-rank  in  value  among  fur-bearing  animals. 
When,  too,  we  consider  that  the  severe  winters,  and  insect 
pests  at  other  seasons,  keep  all  save  a  few  hardy  adventur- 
ers from  invading  its  domain;  that  only  the  outlying  dis- 
tricts receive  nocturnal  visits  from  the  animal  when  it  is  on 
the  verge  of  starvation,  and  that  until  recently  the  outskirts 
of  its  territory  have  been  free  from  railroad  encroachments, 
we  see  why  the  few  sober  and  reliable  articles  upon  this 
species  have  failed  to  dispel  the  mystery  and  exaggeration 
of  centuries. 

In  Northern  Europe  and  Asia,  the  animal  is  generally 
known  as  the  Glutton,  the  term  W^olverine  being  an  Ameri- 
canism of  the  eighteenth  century. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  getting  reliable  data,  nearly 
every  country  or  tribe  has  seen  tit  to  invest  the  animal  with 
a  name  which,  in  the  opinion  of  the  original  investigators, 
had  some  distinguishing  reference  to  the  supposed  form 
or  character  of  the  beast;  but,  in  addition  to  AV^olverine 
and  Glutton,  the  only  one  not  substantially  local  is  the 
French  Canadian  Carcajou,  which  is  also  well  known  to 
residents  of  portions  of  British  America  and  the  United 
States. 

Until  about  the  year  1850,  the  Glutton  of  Europe  and 
Asia  was  thought  to  differ  materially  from  the  American 
AVolverine.  Later  investigation,  however,  has  shown  it  to 
be  identical.  The  latest  edition  of  Webster's  Unabridged 
Dictionary  is  not  at  all  clear  on  this  point.  It  not  only 
defines  the  Carcajou  as  "the  American  Baduer,"  but 
])i'es«Mits    cuts   sliowing   the  Glutton  to   be  epicurean  and 


THE   WOLVERINE.  481 

lamb-like;  while  the  Wolveiine,  oil  anotlier  page,  is  appar- 
ently sprightly,  and  ever  anxious  for  a  light. 

In  fact,  all  of  the  well-known  names  applied  to  this  car- 
nivorous mammal  seem  to  have  originated  in  misconception 
and  error.  The  Latin  Galo^  signifying  glutton,  selected 
by  writers  as  early  as  1550,  and  still  used  by  modern 
authors  to  i)revent  confusion,  gives  but  a  faint  idea  of  the 
gastronomic  feats  of  the  sx)ecies  as  related  by  Old  World 
naturalists,  who  seemed  determined  that  the  animal  should 
do  justice  to  the  name  they  had  given  it.  The  repasts 
of  those  ancient  gentlemen,  Milo  of  Crotona  and  Tlie- 
ogenes  of  Tliasos,  who  could  each  devour  a  whole  ox  in 
one  day,  are  insignilicant  affairs  as  compared  with  the 
voracity  imputed  to  the  Glutton,  which,  weighing  only 
thirty  pounds,  could  linish  an  Elk  at  one  meal,  stopping 
only  occasionally  to  unburden  itself  by  squeezing  between 
two  trees.  One  of  these  ancient  authors,  Linnaius,  gave  to 
the  "American  form  of  the  creature"  the  name  of  Ursus 
luscus,  which  signifies  a  Bear  with  one  eye;  the  foundation 
for  his  conclusions  being  a  single  unlucky  specimen  from 
Hudson's  Bay  which  had  lost  an  eye. 

The  wariness,  the  nocturnal  habits,  and  the  exaggerated 
ferocity  of  the  Timber  Wolf,  were  all  ascribed  to  the  Wol- 
verine at  an  early  day;  hence  the  name.  At  least,  a  pre- 
ponderance of  evidence  favors  this  view,  and  agrees  in  its 
being  a  more  appropriate  name  than  Glutton. 

Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  who  has  written  much  the  best  scien- 
tific article  on  the  Wolverine  I  have  yet  seen,  is  of  the 
opinion  that  Carcajou,  or  Carcajoit  quincajou^  said  to  have 
been  first  applied  by  Charlevoix  to  either  the  Wolverine  or 
some  animal  of  the  cat  kind,  is  derived  from  the  Cree 
Indian  word  0-kee-coo-haw-gew,  and  that  Quickhatch,  or 
Qui-qui-hatch,  another  term  familiar  to  the  whites  of  Brit- 
ish America,  has  the  same  origin.  Richardson  and  others 
agree  with  him. 

The  Wolverine  belongs  to  the  family  MiistelidcB,  sub- 
family Mustelince,  genus  Gulo^  and  is  known  to  the  scien- 
tific world  as  Gido  luscus — a  very  absurd  name  indeed.     In 

31 


4S2 


BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 


the  structure  of  its  teeth  it  resembles  the  martens;  in  its 
eyes  and  incomplete  plantigrade  walk,  the  Bear;  the 
markings  suggest  the  skunk  or  badger;  while  its  habits, 
endurance,  and  ferocity  have  vaguely  connected  it  with  the 
Wolf. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  Bear,  the  after  joarts  droop,  and  the 
head  is  usually  carried  low.  In  general  apj)earance,  it 
would  somewhat  resemble  a  fat,  three-months-old  Cinna- 
mon Bear,  were  it  not  for  its  bushy  tail.     A  casual  front 


r — j]_  ^^ll^J^■^f!.'":,yi^ 


.'jM.^n'  'jimx  J  HI  'HP  'jij. 


Wolverine. 

view  would  render  the  deception  complete.  The  head  is 
rather  large  and  short,  and  tapers  rapidh^  to  the  muzzle. 
The  ears  are  short  and  broad,  the  neck  and  body  rather 
long,  and  the  eyes  very  small  and  black.  In  length,  the 
body  of  an  adult  specimen,  including  the  head,  measures 
about  thirty-two  inches,  the  extreme  length  of  the  tail  add- 
ing sliglitly  more  than  a  foot  to  the  measurement.  The 
legs  are  short  and  large.  The  feet  are  also  large,  and  make 
tracks  in  the  snow  so  nearl}^  resembling  those  of  a  small 
]5ear  that  the  inexperienced  hunter  is  generally  deceived. 
To  tlie  practiced  eye,  they  are  readily  distinguished  by  the 
sliort  steps  of  the  Wolverine. 


THE   WOLVERINE.  483 

Perhaps  the  most  prominent  and  distinguishing  external 
feature  is  the  stubby  tail,  which  is  covered  with  soft,  dark 
hair  seven  inches  long.  This,  while  soft  and  inclined  to 
droop,  is  still  remarkal)ly  fluffy  and  bushy,  the  impression, 
at  first  sight,  being  that  something  droll  or  defective  has 
been  dressed  in  gorgeous  raiment. 

On  account  of  the  feet  being  semi-plantigrade,  its  gait 
approaches  the  awkward  and  shambling  walk  of  the  Bear, 
which,  together  with  its  short  and  thick  legs,  conveys  the 
idea  of  great  strength. 

The  fine  and  valuable  fur  is  partially  concealed  by  a 
growth  of  coarse  hair,  which  attains  a  length  of  four  inches 
along  tlie  sides  and  hips.  Like  some  of  the  other  fur- 
bearers,  the  anal  glands  contain  a  very  unsavory  liquid,  as 
the  subjoined  narrative  of  an  experience  of  Captain  James 
Ross  will  show: 

"At  Victoria  Harbor,  in  the  middle  of  the  winter,  two 
or  three  months  before  we  abandoned  the  ship,  we  were 
one  day  surprised  by  a  visit  by  one  (Wolverine),  which, 
pressed  hard  by  hunger,  had  climbed  the  snow-wall  which 
surrounded  our  vessel,  and  came  boldly  on  deck,  where 
our  crew  were  Avalking  for  exercise.  Undismayed  at  the 
presence  of  twelve  or  fourteen  men,  he  seized  upon  a  canis- 
ter which  had  some  meat  in  it,  and  was  in  so  ravenous  a 
state  that,  while  busily  engaged  at  his  feast,  he  suffered  me 
to  pass  a  noose  over  his  head,  by  which  he  was  immediately 
secured  and  strangled.  By  discharging  the  contents  of  two 
secretory  organs,  he  emitted  a  most  insupportable  stench. 
These  secretory  vessels  are  about  the  size  of  a  walnut,  and 
discharge  a  fluid  of  a  yellowish-brown  color  and  of  the 
consistence  of  honey." 

The  claws  of  the  Wolverine  are  horn-colored,  inclining 
to  whitish,  and  about  an  inch  long.  Johnson's  Natural 
History  says:  "  The  women  of  Kamchatka  use  the  lohite 
paws  of  this  animal  in  dressing  their  hair."  As  the  paws 
are  black,  the  intention  is  not  clear. 

There  is  considerable  variation  in  the  light  colors  of  the 
body.     A  light-colored  stripe,  varyino;  from  reddish-brown 


484  BIG   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMERICA. 

to  creamy-gray,  and  usually  about  two  inches  broad, 
extends  from  the  top  of  the  base  of  the  taiF,  along  the 
middle  of  each  side,  to  the  shoulders.  Rarely,  this  stripe  is 
three  inches  broad,  and  almost  white,  and  when  thus  found, 
in  connection  with  gray  hairs  throughout  the  dark  of  the 
specimen,  is  an  indication  of  old  age.  Most  of  the  speci- 
mens I  have  seen  have  had  more  or  less  gray  upon  the  front 
of  the  head,  and  small,  irregular  blotches  of  white  upon  the 
throat  and  brisket.  AVith  the  exception  of  the  aforemen- 
tioned light  colors,  the  whole  of  the  animal  is  a  dark- 
brown,  shading  into  black  upon  the  back  and  feet.  A 
specimen  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  library  at  Denver, 
Colorado,  from  which  our  illustration  is  drawn,  has  a 
gray  stripe  across  the  forehead,  and  large  white  blotches 
on  neck  and  chest,  but  the  body-stripe  is  hardly  distin- 
guishable. 

Four  adults  taken  at  Trappers*  Lake,  Colorado,  in  the 
winter  of  1889,  were  beautifully  marked,  the  broad,  light- 
colored  bands  contrasting  magnificently  with  the  surround- 
ing dark  and  glossy  fur.  A  specimen  in  the  possession  of 
J.  A.  Murdock,  an  editor  and  naturalist  of  Pilot  Mound, 
Manitoba,  has,  in  addition  to  the  irregular  throat-marks, 
considerable  white  around  the  nose.  Audubon  says:  "A 
white  stripe  extends  across  the  forehead;"'  but  this  is  by  no 
means  regular. 

The  fur  of  adults  does  not  change  color  in  winter.  I 
have  never  seen  the  very  young,  which  are  said  to  be  quite 
woolly  and  of  a  dirty-white  color;  neither  have  I  been  able 
to  find  anyone  who  could  say  anything  authentic  concern- 
ing them.  As  the  oft-repeated  * 'dirty- white ''  color  would 
be  something  of  an  absurdity  in  nature,  I  do  not  accept  it 
readily,  but,  instead,  believe  the  young  to  resemble  the 
parents;  in  which  event,  they  would  easily  be  mistaken  for 
young  minks,  sables,  or  possibly  otters,  by  all  except  ana- 
tomical naturalists. 

Xotwithstanding  its  want  of  great  agility,  and  the  con 
sequent  apparent  difficulty  of  procuring  food  in  the  bleak 
North,   the   Wolverine   is   usually   very   fat.      Thirty-five 


THE   WOLVERINE.  485 

pounds  may  be  said  to  be  the  average  weight  of  those  in 
good  condition. 

There  are  eighteen  teeth  in  the  upi)er  jaw  and  twenty 
below,  divided  as  follows:  Incisors,  twelve;  canines,  four; 
pre-molars,  sixteen;  molars,  six.  As  in  the  marten,  the 
upper  back  molars  are  set  transversely  in  the  jaw. 

The  Wolverine  may  be  said  to  be  conlined  to  the  north- 
ern parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America,  and  is  usually 
found  only  in  wooded  districts.  In  the  Rocky  Mountain 
region,  its  southern  limit  is  probably  38°,  and  near  the 
eastern  coast  of  the  United  States,  about  42°.  Audubon 
killed  one  in  Rensselaer  County,  New  York,  in  1810.  In 
several  natural  histories  we  find  accounts  of  occasional 
specimens  having  been  taken,  previous  to  1850,  at  about 
latitude  42°  and  43°,  in  the  States  of  New  York,  Massachu- 
setts, New  Hampshire,  and  Vermont;  but  I  can  not  recall  a 
single  account  of  its  occurrence  in  the  Ohio  or  Mississippi 
A^alleys,  nor  in  Canada,  though  it  is  probable  the  animal  is 
still  to  be  found  in  the  latter  countrj'.*  We  have  late  and 
authentic  records  of  its  occurrence  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 
as  far  south  as  latitude  39°,  though  I  have  never  heard  of  one 
in  this  latitude  below  an  altitude  of  nine  thousand  feet.  As 
we  proceed  toward  the  Arctic  regions,  along  the  Continental 
Divide,  we  hear  of  its  presence  from  time  to  time;  but  until 
we  reach  the  Peace  and  Mackenzie  River  regions,  in  British 

*  lu  a  letter  to  the  editor,  dated  March  29,  1890,  Jlr.  William  P.  Lett  says:  "  1  find  iu  the 
'Naturalist  and  Geologist,'  published  by  the  late  Ellcauah  Billiugs,  the  paleontologist  of  the 
Geological  Survey  of  Canada,  the  followiug:  'The  Glutton  (Gido  Luscus,  Linn.)  is  the  Car- 
cajou of  Le  Houtan  and  the  French  Canadians;  Quickhatch  (Ursido  afflnis  Americana)  of 
Catesby  (Carolina);  Quickhatch  of  the  English  residents  at  Hudson's  Bay;  Quickhatch  or 
Wolverine  of  Ellis;  Wolverine  of  Pennant:  Wolverine,  Qui-qui-hatch,  or  Carcajou  of  Gra- 
ham (Manuscripts);  Ka-blee-a-ri-oo  df  the  Eskimos  of  Mellville  Peninsula;  Ka-e-week  of 
the  Eskimos  of  Boothia  Felix:  Na-gha-i-eh  of  the  Chippewas:  0-mee-that-sees  0-kee-coo- 
haw-gew  (whence,  Sir  John  Richardson  observes,  the  term  Quickhatch  of  the  European 
laborers  in  the  service  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  is  evidently  derived)  of  the  Crees  or 
Algonqulns:  Rosomak  of  the  Russians:  Jarf  Filfress  of  tlie  Fatina  Suecica;  Timmi  of 
the  Kamchatkans;  Haeppi  of  theKoratzki;  Gluton  of  the  French;  Gnlo  of  Olaus  Magnus; 
Gulo  Vielfrass  of  Genet;  Hyena  and  Ursus  Hudsonis  of  Brisson;  Mustela  Gido  and  Ursus 
Luscus  of  Linua3us;  Ursus  Gido  o{  Pallas  and  Gmelin;  Taxus  Gido  of  Tiedemann;  Gido 
Arcticus  of  Desmarest;  Gulo  Vulgaris  of  Griffith's  Cuvier;  Gulo  Luscus  of  Sabine.'  I 
can  not  And  any  authentic  account  of  this  animal  having  been  killed  or  observed  in  the 
Ottawa  Valley  of  late  years:  but  one  was  killed,  about  forty  years  ago.  wliile  swimming 
across  the  Gatineau  River,  wliicli  stream  enters  the  Ottawa  River  about  one  mile  below 
this  city.     I  dare  say  there  are -some  up  there  yet." 


486  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

America,  it  can  not  be  said  to  be,  nor  has  it  ever  been, 
plentiful.  On  the  west,  north,  and  east,  the  range  of  the 
animal  extends  to  the  ocean.  The  fOur  skins  which  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  examining  at  Trappers'  Lake  were  from 
specimens  trapped  in  the  winter  of  1889,  at  an  elevation  of 
ten  thousand  feet,  in  Garfield  County,  Colorado,  on  the 
fortieth  parallel. 

While  crossing  the  mountains  between  Middle  and 
Egeria  Parks,  Colorado,  in  the  winter  of  1883,  I  was  fortu- 
nate enough  to  kill  one  of  these  animals.  I  say  fortunate, 
because  for  twenty-five  years  I  have  annually  j^assed  from 
two  weeks  to  three  months  in  the  wildest  portions  of  Colo- 
rado, Michigan,  and  Wisconsin,  and  never  have  seen  but 
this  one  living  si)ecimen  at  large. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  a  day  that  promised  snow, 
that  I  had  seated  myself  in  the  edge  of  a  clump  of  pines 
for  a  moment's  rest,  before  starting  u^Don  a  down-hill  jour- 
ney of  ten  miles.  While  mentally  discussing  the  chances 
of  getting  lost  in  a  snow-storm,  were  I  to  leave  a  well-known 
creek  for  a  more  direct  but  untried  route,  a  Wolverine 
came  out  of  a  gulch,  and  was  about  to  pass  within  fifty 
3'ards  of  me.  It  caught  the  movement  as  I  raised  my  rifle, 
and  sat  wpon  its  haunches,  when  ahnost  instantly  its  neck 
was  broken  by  a  bullet  in  the  throat.  It  proved  to  be  a 
male  in  good  condition,  and  was  killed  so  quickly  that  it 
gave  forth  no  fetid  odor.  The  lateness  of  the  hour,  and  rtiy 
heavy  load,  j)i'^^'^iited  taking  more  than  the  hurriedly 
stripped  skin;  and  even  this  was  given  to  a  friend  to  keep  as 
a  memento  of  our  hunt. 

The  following  account  of  the  capture  of  a  Wolverine, 
written  by  Frank  T.  AVyman,  of  Boise  City,  Idaho,  I  take 
pleasure  in  quoting  vtrhaffm: 

'  •  The  Wolverine  spoken  of  was  killed  by  my  brother, 
Charles  M.  Wyman,  in  February,  1889.  He  had  spent  the 
niglit  in  a  cabin  on  the  top  of  Lion  Hill,  about  fort}^  miles 
south-southeast  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  The  altitude  is 
about  nine  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.    Earlv  in  the  morn- 


THE    WOLVEKIXE.  487 

ing,  some  miners  passed  the  cabin,  following  what  they 
called  the  tracks  of  a  Mountain  Lion.  My  brother  followed 
them,  and  found  the  tracks  ended  at  the  opening  of  a 
mining-shaft.  A  heavy  fall  of  snow  had  -nearly  covered 
this  over,  and  the  animal  had  accidentally  fallen  some  forty 
feet  to  the  bottom,  where  a  foot  or  two  of  snow  prevented 
any  serious  injury  from  the  fall. 

'■'Charles  lowered  himself  to  the  bottom,  when  a  shot- 
gun loaded  with  heavy  shot,  and  a  lantern,  were  sent 
down.  The  miners  above  were  opposed  to  his  proceeding, 
and  wished  to  haul  him  out,  but  in  vain.  From  the  bottom 
of  the  shaft  a  drift  extended  about  thirty  feet,  and  then 
branched  into  a  'Y.'  At  the  point  of  branching  was  a 
large  timber  to  hold  the  roof.  Pausing  here  a  moment  be- 
fore proceeding  to  explore  the  right-hand  opening,  Charles 
pointed  the  gun  into  this  drift,  and  started  to  advance, 
when,  with  a  snarl  which  sounded  loud  enough  in  the  nar- 
row drift,  the  Wolverine  came  from  the  other  branch.  My 
brother  was  unable  to  point  the  gun  into  that  drift  in  time 
to  shoot,  because  of  the  timber,  and  so  was  defenseless, 

"Acting  on  the  x>rinciple  that  wild  animals  are  usually 
afraid  of  an  artificial  light,  he  swung  the  lantern  into  its 
face,  which  caused  it  to  retreat.  As  quickly  as  possible, 
the  gun  was  brought  to  bear  uj^on  the  proper  point,  where- 
ui^on  the  Wolverine  uttered  another  snarl  and  came  again. 
Taking  as  good  an  aim  as  possible  in  the  uncertain  light,  a 
shot  was  fired,  which  of  course  extinguished  the  light. 
After  waiting  for  a  time,  with  one  finger  upon  the  other 
trigger,  Charles  relighted  the  lantern,  and  found  the 
Wolverine  dead,  just  in  front  of  him. 

"There  were  no  other  Wolverines  in  the  vicinity,  so  far 
as  known.  A  sheep-herder,  near  by,  had  complained  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  losing  sheep  and  lambs,  supposing  them 
to  have  been  taken  by  Mountain  Lions,  which  had  been 
seen  in  the  vicinity." 

As  Scandinavian  naturalists  have  so  often  spoken  of  the 
Glutton's   fondness   for   mutton,   it   is  jjrobable    that   the 


488  BIG    GAME   OF    NGRTII    AMEKICA. 

sheep-lierder,  in  this  case,  could  justly  have  charged  part 
of  his  loss  to  the  Wolverine.  M.  Hedberg  tells  us  that 
three  were  captured  young  in  the  Parish  of  Cxellivaara,  in 
Lapland.  ''They  were  allowed  their  full  liberty;  but  in 
the  autumn,  the  servant  having  forgotten  to  fasten  the 
door  of  the  building  wherein  the  sheep  were  confined,  the 
Gluttons  found  their  way  into  it  and  killed  several  sheep." 

As  befoi'e  stated,  the  Wolverine  is  nocturnal  in  habit, 
and  there  are  but  few  recorded  instances  of  its  having  been 
seen  during  the  day.  An  aged  trapper  once  told  me  of 
having  seen  one  in  Pot-hole  Valley.  Colorado,  one  wintry 
day;  and  Mr.  Lockhart,  in  Cones'  "  Fur-bearing  Animals," 
mentions  two  cases,  in  each  of  which  the  animal  sat  upon 
its  haunches  and  shaded  its  eyes  with  a  paw,  the  inference 
being  that  it  could  not  see  well  in  the  sunlight.  It  does 
not  hibernate,  but  in  winter  prosecutes  its  search  for  food 
with  even  more  vigor  than  in  summer. 

Examples  coming  within  my  own  observation  show  the 
male  and  female  to  l)e  equal  in  size. 

Without  doubt,  its  most  conspicuous  habit  is  that  of  fol- 
lowing the  trapper  and  destroying  his  wooden  traps.  To 
the  Hudson's  Bay  trapjDer,  who  was  formerly  unable  to 
obtain  poison  and  steel-traps,  except  at  ruinous  prices,* 
this  was  highly  exasperating.  Imagine  the  feelings  of  a 
man  who  has  built,  set,  and  baited  one  hundred  and  fifty 
traps,  extending  over  a  circuit  of  fifty  miles,  and  who  finds 
on  his  first  visit,  i)erhaps  a  week  later,  every  oi^e  destroyed, 
the  l)aits  eaten,  and  the  catch  torn  in  pieces  or  carried  away! 


*\Miat  tliest,'  prices  were,  we  are  unable  to  say:  Ijut.  if  we  may  judge  from  an  article  in 
the  Fel)ruary.  ISOO,  CosMopolitaii  Mdrjctziin',  by  J.  Macdonald  Oxley.  the  profits  i)robably 
exceeded  tlic  conservative  tlirec  ])er  cent,  of  our  Goxerinuent.  Note  tliis:  ■■Theri'  has  been 
a  wonderful  change  in  values  since  the  good  old  days  in  the  early  part  of  this  century. 
When  Fort  Dun  vegan  was  established,  on  the  IVace  Rivei-.  near  the  Rockies,  the  regular 
prici-  of  a  trade-nnisket  was  Rockj-  Mountain  .sables  piled  up  on  each  side  until  thej-  were 
levi'l  with  its  muzzle  when  held  upright.  Now.  these  s;vbles  were  worth  in  England  alx)ut 
thn-.-  pounds  apiece,  while  the  cost  of  the  musket  did  not  e.vceed  one  jwund."" 

Wldl.'  this  practice  may  have  l)een  more  satisfactory  to  the  Indians  than  that  of  the 
early  Hollanders,  who  are  sai<l  to  have  used  "the  strong  right  hand""  as  a  jKHUid-weight 
whi-n  Wfigliing  i>eltry,  the  re.-^ult  was  practically  the  .same.  Mr.  O.vley  further  .says: 
•■  These  nuiski'ts  came  to  be  wofully  long,  in  time."  If  we  suppose  them  to  liave  been  fifty 
inche--  I'.ng.  and  each  hide  to  have  occupied  an  inch  of  sjiace.  we  have  a  gross  profit  of 
Sl,4'.t."i  i.n  each  musket ! 


THE   WOLVEKIXE.  489 

Fortunately,  there  is  nothing  on  record  to  sliovv  what  tliese 
hardy  adventurers  said  when  thus  irritated,  though  we  can 
imagine  it  niiglit  sound  better  if  told  in  an  unknown 
tongue.  Very  often  they  would  capture  the  destroyer  of 
their  equanimity  and  traps,  but  sometimes  his  cunning  sur- 
passed their  best  efforts,  and  the}'  would  abandon  their 
lines  until  their  tormentor  had  found  other  pastures. 

The  cunning,  strength,  and  perseverance  displayed  by 
these  animals,  and  which  will  be  referred  to  further  on,  is 
so  truly  wonderful  that  we  may  well  excuse  the  early  writ- 
ers their  exaggeration.  The  posts  composing  the  back  of 
the  dead-fall  were  frequently  pulled  up  and  carried  away, 
the  small  sticks  destroyed,  the  logs  scattered,  the  clogs  to 
the  steel-traps  chewed  in  two,  and  the  traps  and  contents 
carried  for  miles  and  buried  in  the  snow.  When  Gulo 
luscus  had  taken  the  danger  out  of  the  contrivance,  he 
would  cheerfully  eat  the  bait.  By  the  way,  this  seems  to 
be  his  idea  of  a  j^ractical  joke.  Alas',  were  he  addicted  to 
Latin  and  guava  jelly,  we  might  admit  his  instinct  to  reach 
the  borders  of  reason. 

For  several  reasons,  he  prefers  to  use,  when  traveling,  the 
trails  of  the  marten-trappers;  his  legs  are  short,  the  snow 
is  deep,  and  often  light,  while  his  body  is  heavy.  More- 
over, the  wise  old  Carcajou  appears  to  like  the  idea  of 
matching  the  cunning  of  his  would-be  captor,  knowing, 
probably  from  experience,  just  how  and  how  not  to  get  at 
the  baits. 

The  Wolverine's  long  nocturnal  journeys,  in  deej^  snow, 
show  his  endurance,  while  his  usual  plethora  '\6  prima  fade 
evidence  of  success  in  foraging.  It  is  true  he  has  a  keener 
nose  than  the  Fox;  but  how  a  carnivorous  mammal  so  ener- 
getic as  the  Glutton  can  keep  fat  during  the  Arctic  winters 
is  considerable  of  a  mystery.  His  fare  during  the  snowy 
months  is,  generally  speaking,  limited  to  grouse  and  rab- 
bits, and  various  fur-bearing  animals,  which  he  generally 
steals  after  they  have  been  trapped.  Richardson  says:  ''  I 
have  seen  one  chasing  an  American  hare  which  was  at  the 
same  time  harassed  bv  a  snowv  owl."     At  long  intervals, 


490  lUG   GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

our  poacher  finds  the  carcass  of  a  large  animal,  when  for  a 
time  he  lives  luxuriously.  In  summer  he  fares  much 
better;  mice,  moles,  marmots,  rabbits,  and  Foxes  are  then 
dug  from  their  burrows,  while  his  keen  nose  directs  him 
to  all  the  carrion  in  his  neighboihood.  He  also  preys  upon 
nesting  birds,  particularly  watei--fowl,  and  their  eggs;  and 
some  writers  have  added  decaying  fish  to  his  warm  weather 
bill  of  fare.  Judging  from  his  ferocity  and  strength,  it  is 
probable  that  he  also  j)reys  upon  both  young  and  disabled 
Deer.  Buffon,  I  l)elieve,  is  responsible  for  the  statement 
that  it  is  a  common  practice  of  the  animal  to  lie  secreted 
near  Beaver-ponds,  and  pounce  upon  the  unsuspecting 
laborers  when  tliey  come  ashore.  Of  one  he  had  caged,  he 
speaks  as  follows:  "  His  voracity  has  been  much  exagger- 
ated; he  ate  indeed  a  great  deal,  but  when  deprived  of  food 
he  was  not  importunate.  He  is  rather  wild,  avoids  water, 
and  moves  with  a  kind  of  leap.  After  eating,  he  covers 
himself  in  the  cage  with  straw.  In  drinking,  he  laps  like 
a  dog.  If  indulged,  he  would  devour  more  than  four 
pounds  of  flesh  in  a  day.  He  is  almost  perpetually  in 
motion."' 

Audubon  thus  describes  one  he  saw  in  Denmark,  which 
had  been  exhibited  two  years:  "We  took  him  out  of  his 
cage;  he  was  very  gentle,  oj)ened  his  mouth  to  enable  us  to 
examine  his  teeth,  and  buried  his  head  in  our  la2:)s  while 
we  admired  his  long  claws  and  felt  his  woolly  feet.  He 
seemed  pleased  to  escape  from  the  confinement  of  the  cage, 
I'an  around  us  in  short  circles,  and  made  awkward  attempts 
to  play  with  and  caress  us.  He  had  been  taught  to  sit  on 
his  liaunches  and  hold  in  his  mouth  a  German  pipe.  We 
observed  lie  was  somewhat  averse  to  the  light  of  the  sun, 
keeping  his  eyes  half-closed  when  exposed  to  its  rays.  The 
keeper  informed  us  that  he  suffered  a  good  deal  from  the 
heat  in  wai'iu  weather.  There  was  in  the  same  cage  a 
mai'niot.  from  the  Alps,  to  which  the  Wolverine  seemed 
much  attached." 

It  is  customary  with  the  Wolverine  to  pass  the  day, 
especially   tlie  hours  of    sunshine,  in  some  subterranean 


THE   WOLVERINE.  491 

cavity,  usually  the  one  in  which  he  makes  his  home.  He 
does  not  litter  his  den  with  a  surx)lusage  of  food,  but 
chooses  to  bury  it  elsewhere,  invariably  leaving  unsavory 
evidence  of  his  visit  above  his  treasures  to  conceal  them 
from  the  Fox  or  other  inquisitive  i^rowler.  The  bed  is 
ordinarily  a  large  heap  of  leaves. 

Each  year,  in  June,  the  female  gives  birth  to  her  young, 
which  she  protects  until  the  following  winter,  when  they 
are  forced  to  provide  for  themselves.  A  naturalist,  who 
lived  four  years  in  the  spruce-forest  country  lying  between 
the  southern  xu'airies  and  polar  barrens  of  British  America, 
informs  me  that  the  litter  consists  of  two  -usually  a  male 
and  a  female.  This,  coming  from  a  close  observer,  together 
with  the  general  belief  of  northern  residents  to  the  effect 
that  Wolverines  are  found  in  joairs  throughout  a  greater 
part  of  the  year,  naturally  leads  one  to  believe  the  species 
monogamous;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  Mr.  L.  Lloyd  informs 
us  that  four  young  Gluttons  were  seen  together  on  a  stone 
in  a  rapid,  fishing  for  grayling.  Excellent  authorities  also 
unite  in  asserting  that  the  litter  may  consist  of  four;  and, 
desi)ite  the  aforementioned  belief,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that 
the  Wolverine  is  oftener  found  alone  than  in  pairs.  The 
rutting-season  is  believed  to  be  early  in  March.  They  utter 
no  cry  or  call  at  any  time  when  undisturbed,  though  when 
attacked  they  give  vent  to  their  rage  in  growls. 

They  sometimes  climb  rough  and  soft  barked  trees,  in 
quest  of  food  previously  located  by  their  keen  i)owers  of 
scent,  but  never  to  escape  from  a  lone  enemy.  For  similar 
reasons,  they  also  swim  rivers.  When  transported  to  hot 
countries,  they  show  no  aversion  to  water,  but  rather  seek 
it  as  a  means  of  reducing  their  temperature. 

The  rather  heavy  body  and  short  legs  of  the  Wolverine 
convey  an  idea  of  clumsiness  and  a  slothful  pace.  Like  the 
stove-i)ipe  hat,  which  is  laid  away  through  sprinting — that 
sport  and  dignity  being  at  variance — so  is  the  Wolverine 
often  brought  to  grief  through  an  untimely  pride  or  bra- 
vado; but  do  not  try  to  catch  him  when  once  he  has  con- 
cluded that  safety  lies  just  over  the  next  mountain  chain. 


492  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

for  you  will  surely  fail.  A  Manitoba  friend  is  "vvith  me  in 
this  assertion,  and  further  confirmation  comes  from  an  inci- 
dent  which  happened  during  an  outing  in  the  summer  of 
1888.  At  the  time,  my  companion  was  hunting  Deer  in 
Rock  Creek  Canon,  Egeria  Park,  Colorado,  and  ui)on  com- 
ing to  camp,  told  of  having  seen  a  strange  animal,  at 
dusk,  which  ran  through  the  scattering  quaking  aspens 
with  such  speed  that  he  was  unable  to  bring  his  rifle  to 
bear  ui)on  it.  When  he  described  the  animal,  we  became 
certain  that  he  had  seen  a  Wolverine. 

At  this  date,  there  is  practically  no  market  value  upon 
the  skins.  The  very  few  which  reach  Colorado  buyers  sell 
at  from  six  to  eight  dollars  each;  those  fit  for  mounting 
commanding  the  best  figures.  Formerly,  they  were  consid- 
ered nearly  worthless  in  commerce,  as  is  evinced  by  the 
i:)ost-traders  intrusting  many  of  those  bought  at  low  prices 
to  the  care  of  certain  Indians,  who  traded  them  to  distant 
tribes  for  salable  peltry.  As  the  possession  of  a  skin 
marked  the  owner  as  a  skillful  trapper,  and  the  middle- 
men received  liberal  commissions,  considerable  trading  of 
this  kind  was  done;  the  skins  finally  finding  their  way  to 
the  trading-stations  again  whenever  the  wants  of  poor  Lo 
were  great. 

The  Cree  Indians,  who  have  the  best  oi^portunities  for 
studying  the  breeding-habits  of  this  species,  say  the  mother 
boldly  defends  her  young  when  molested  by  man  or  beast. 
Unless  provided  with  some  means  of  defense,  the  Indians 
avoid  the  mother  at  this  time,  notwithstanding  the  state- 
ment of  Johnson  to  the  effect  that  the  "Wolverine  flees  from 
the  face  of  man,  and  that  he  recpiires  no  other  arm  than  a 
stick  to  kill  it.  Though  a  suitable  green  club  would  sureh' 
win.  a  large  majority  of  hunters  would  prefer  a  weapon  of 
longer  range,  and  favor  pitting  the  chances  of  a  miss  or  a 
misfire  against  that  of  being  disrobed  in  an  animated 
set-to,  in  a  frigid  country,  where  the  clothing-stores  are 
often  two  hundred  miles  apart. 

A  curious  trait  of  this  animal  is  the  suspicion  with  which 
it  at  first  reo;ards  anvthino;  that  has  been  touched  bv  the 


THE   WOLVERINE.  493 

hand  of  man,  and  the  pertinacity  it  shows,  after  one  day 
for  deliberation,  in  gaining  possession  of  it.  Mr.  P.  De 
Graff,  of  New  York,  who  i)assed  one  winter  in  the  Peace 
River  country,  has  this  to  say  concerning  this  peculiarity: 

"The  Carcajou  must  be  very  hungry  indeed  if  he  will 
touch  a  baited  traj)  the  first  night,  and  so  it  is  with  game 
left  in  the  woods.  About  the  time  we  built  our  camp,  I 
killed  a  Moose,  and  hung  the  head  on  a  branch  of  a  tree, 
out  of  the  reach  of  wild  animals.  Some  time  afterward, 
I  thought  I  would  test  what  I  had  heard  about  this  habit 
of  the  Carcajou,  and  knocked  the  head  down  after  a  fall  of 
snow.  Next  day,  I  found  a  Carcajou  had  been  within  three 
feet  of  it,  but  had  not  touched  it.  Theil  I  turned  the  head 
over,  and  the  result  was  the  same;  but  three  days  after  this 
the  head  was  gone.  We  did  not  consider  the  experiment 
conclusive,  for  we  found  that  traps  which  had  been  set 
early  in  the  morning  sometimes  contained  a  Carcajou  next 
morning,  but  as  we  did  not  make  a  practice  of  visiting  our 
traps  every  day,  we  could  not  always  be  sure  about  it;  yet 
we  concluded  that  generally  they  were  too  susj)icious  to 
touch  a  trap  as  long  as  the  scent  of  our  tracks  remained." 

Mr.  Ross,  quoted  in  Coues'  "Fur-bearing  Animals," 
vouches  for  the  following:  "An  instance  occurred  within 
my  own  knowledge  in  which  a  hunter  and  his  family  hav- 
ing left  their  lodge  iinguarded  during  their  absence,  on 
their  return  found  it  completely  gutted — the  walls  were 
there,  but  nothing  else.  Blankets,  guns,  knives,  kettles, 
axes,  cans,  and  all  the  other  paraphernalia  of  a  trax)X)er's 
tent,  had  vanished,  and  the  tracks  left  showed  that  a  Wol- 
verine had  been  the  thief.  The  family  set  to  work,  and  by 
carefully  following  up  all  his  paths,  recovered,  with  some 
trifling  exceptions,  the  whole  of  the  lost  property." 

Steel-traps  and  dead -falls  are  commonly  used  in  the 
capture  of  the  Wolverine,  although  when  he  lias  once 
escaped  from  a  trap,  or  been  frightened  by  the  fall  of  a  log, 
some  other  means  must  be  devised  for  his  subjection.  In 
time  they  even  become  suspicious  of  poisons  which  have  no 
taste  or  smell,  and  it  is  the  same  with  castoreum  or  any 


494  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

other  far-reaching  odor  when  used  as  a  lure.  The  surviv- 
ors in  each  district  somehow  learn  to  associate  the  death  of 
their  congeners  with  the  thing  habitually  used  to  destroy," 
and  thus  become  world-wise  in  a  degree  highly  distressing 
to  the  trappers.  When  ordinary  means  have  failed,  a 
quadrangular  trap  of  heavy  logs,  having  the  api)earance  of 
a  cache,  will  usually  succeed.  lu  these  contrivances  the 
bait  is  buried  or  concealed,  and  steel-traps  covered  with 
snow  or  leaves  often  placed  therein.  Touching  this,  I  quote 
from  Mr.  De  Graff's  letter: 

' '  I  caught  a  troublesome  Carcajou  that  winter  in  this 
way:  I  scoured  a  heavy  steel- trap,  and  set  it,  and  then 
hung  it  in  a  tree  until  the  odor  from  handling  it  had  disap- 
peared. Then  I  dug  away  the  snow,  and  x^iled  it  in  a  hard 
bank  around  the  spot.  The  bait  was  i)ut  in  one  comer,  and 
the  trap,  by  the  use  of  a  stick,  in  the  center.  Then  I  cov- 
ered them  over,  and  laid  small  logs  across  the  top  of  the 
bank,  on  top  of  which  I  piled  snow  and  rubbish  two  feet 
deep.  It  worked  like  a  charm,  and  I  got  the  beast  the  first 
time  I  made  my  rounds."' 

That  my  readers  may  know  why  the  Wolverine  is  re- 
garded by  many  as  an  "  insatiable  glutton,  a  blood-thirsty 
demon,  and  a  prowling  monster,"  I  will  quote  briefly  from 
some  attractive  but  not  whollj^  reliable  works  at  hand — 
such  as  were  often  given  us  in  boyhood  by  well-meaning 
parents  or  friends. 

"The  Glutton,^  says  Mr.  Lloyd,  "approaches  his  prey 
with  caution,  crawling  toward  it  till  within  a  short  distance, 
and  then,  with  a  few  sudden  springs,  pounces  upon  it.  He 
is  very  destructive  to  the  wild  Reindeer,  particularly  in  the 
winter;  for  when  these  animals  are  necessitated  partiall}"  to 
bury  their  heads  in  the  snow,  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
lichens  and  other  vegetable  substances  lying  below,  he  is 
enabled  to  approach  them  with  facility.  When  once  seized 
by  the  blood-thirsty  beast,  it  is  in  vain  that  the  wounded 
Deer  endeavors  to  disengage  itself  from  its  enemj^  by  rush- 
ing among  the  surrounding  trees;  no  force  can  obligv  him 
to  quit  his  hold;  he  maintains  his  position,  and  continues 


THE    WOLVERINE.  495 

to  suck  the  blood  of  the  fljing  victim  till  it  falls  down 
exhausted  with  i)ain  and  fatigue.  When  the  Glutton  has 
captured  a  large  animal,  he  hides  the  carcass,  after  having 
satisfied  his  present  hunger,  in  the  cleft  of  a  rock  or  in  a 
thick  brake,  carefully  covered  with  moss  if  in  an  exj)osed 
place.  Even  the  upper  x:)art  of  a  tree  serves  him  for  a 
larder,  so  that  the  Fox  may  not  have  access  to  the  good 
things." 

Bingley,  in  1870,  spoke  of  the  Glutton  in  a  similar 
strain:  "  We  are  informed  that  they  climb  into  trees  in  the 
neighborhood  of  herds  of  Deer,  and  carry  along  with  them 
a  considerable  quantity  of  a  kind  of  moss  to  which  the  Deer 
are  partial.  As  soon  as  any  of  the  herd  happens  to 
approach  the  tree,  the  Glutton  throws  down  the  moss.  If 
the  Deer  stops  to  eat,  the  Glutton  instantlj^  darts  uj^on  its 
back,  and,  after  fixing  himself  firmly  between  the  horns, 
tears  out  its  eyes,  which  torments  the  animal  to  such  a 
degree  that,  either  to  end  its  torments  or  to  get  rid  of  its 
cruel  enemy,  it  strikes  its  head  against  tlie  trees  till  it  falls 
down  dead.'' 

Pontoppidan,  while  correcting  a  belief  of  his  time  as  to 
the  Wolverine  being  the  third  cub  of  a  Bear,  tells  us  this: 
"A  friend  of  mine,  a  man  of  probity,  has  assured  me,  from 
ocular  demonstration,  that  when  the  Glutton  is  caught  alive 
(which  seldom  happens),  and  is  chained  to  a  stone  wall,  his 
hunger  does  not  decline  the  stones  and  mortar,  but  he  will 

eat  himself  into  the  wall T3y  the  i^ractice  of 

squeezing  between  two  trees,  he  exonerates  his  stomach, 
which  has  not  time  to  digest  what  he  has  so  voraciously 
devoured." 

Bingley  gives  a  good  description  of  the  Wolverine.  He 
had  evidently  received  trustworthy  information  from  Brit- 
ish American  sources,  though  seemingly  he  did  not  suspect 
the  Wolverine  and  Glutton  to  be  identical.  His  statement, 
on  information,  relating  to  a  Wolverine  which  ui)set  the 
greater  part  of  a  wood-pile,  more  than  seventy  yards  in  cir- 
cumference, to  get  at  some  iDrovisions  hidden  in  the  center, 
is  generally  considered  too  heavy  for  discussion,  though  I 


496  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

believe  the  animal  would  win  could  we  find  some  way  to 
reduce  the  size  of  the  wood-pile  about  one-half. 

Cuvier,  Hearne,  Griffith,  and  nearly  all  the  Old  World 
writers,  also  fell  into  the  error  of  supposing  the  Glutton 
and  Wolverine  to  differ  in  form  and  character. 

Coues  has  critically  compared  the  European  Glutton  with 
examples  from  the  United  States  and  the  British  Posses- 
sions, and  finding  only  such  differences  as  frequently  occur 
in  specimens  from  any  given  locality,  modestly  concludes 
in  the  following  language:  "The  identity  of  the  animals  of 
the  two  continents  is  to  be  considered  fairly  established, 
whatever  range  of  variation  in  size  and  color  either  may 
present." 

Previous  to  the  construction  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Kailway,  nearly  everyone  who  had  written  more  than  a  few 
lines  upon  the  habits  of  this  animal,  had  gladly  accepted 
whatever  they  could  get  from  the  courteous  officers  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  who,  in  turn,  were  usually  obliged 
to  get  their  information  from  the  Indians  and  white  trap- 
pers of  that  region.  While  it  may  now  seem  an  easy  matter 
to  testify  to  the  correctness  of  this  hearsay  evidence,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  no  one  man  can  do  so  from  per- 
sonal exx)erience;  that  many  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  i^osts  no 
longer  exist;  that  the  home  of  the  Wolverine  is  still  hun- 
dreds of  miles  north  of  the  railroad;  that  the  most  desira- 
ble points  have  only  one  mail  a  year,  and  that  in  that 
sparsely  settled  region  the  few  competent  to  furnish  infor- 
mation are  either  unknown  .to  the  outside  world  or  do  not 
wish  to  trouble  themselves  for  the  advancement  of  science 
alone.  Under  these  conditions,  verification  has  been  dif- 
ficult; and  we  may  well  forgive  the  exaggeration  of  the 
earlier  writers,  while  quoting  from  Pope  in  my  own  behalf: 

"  If  I  am  right,  Thy  giact;  impart 
Still  in  the  right  to  .sta}'; 
If  I  am  wroug,  oh,  teach  my  heart 
To  tiiul  the  better  Avay." 

From  a  mass  of  manuscript  relating  to  the  fauna  of 
the  North,  collected  bv  the  Snuthsonian  Institution  in  times 


THE    WOLVERINE.  497 

past,  Elliott  Coues  selected  and  embodied  in  his  exhaustive 
article  the  matter  he  considered  reliable  and  best  calculated 
to  show  the  nature  of  this  wonderful  animal.  Some  of 
these  entertaining  passages  I  give,  adding  a  few  anecdotes 
from  other  reliable  sources,  which  it  is  hoped  will  prove 
interesting  reading. 

"The  winter  I  passed  at  Fort  SimiDSon,"'  writes  Mr. 
Lockhart,  "  I  had  a  line  of  marten  and  Fox  traps  and  Lynx- 
snares  extending  as  far  as  Lac  de  Brochet.  Visiting  them 
on  one  occasion,  I  found  a  Lynx  alive  in  one  of  my  snares, 
and  being  indisposed  to  carry  it  so  far  home,  detennined  to 
kill  and  skin  it  before  it  should  freeze.  But  how  to  cache 
the  skin  till  my  return?  This  was  a  serious  question,  for 
Carcajou  tracks  were  numerous.  Placing  the  carcass,  as  a 
decoy,  in  a  clump  of  willows  at  one  side  of  the  path,  I 
went  some  distance  on  the  opposite  side,  dug  a  hole  with 
my  snow-shoe  (about  three  feet  deex))  in  the  snow,  packed 
the  skin  in  the  smallest  possible  compass,  and  put  it  in  the 
bottom  of  the  hole,  which  I  filled  up  again  very  carefully — 
I)acking  the  snow  down  hard,  and  then  strewing  loose  snow 
over  the  surface  till  the  spot  looked  as  if  it  had  never  been 
disturbed.  I  also  strewed  blood  and  entrails  in  the  path 
and  around  the  willows.  Returning  next  morning,  I  found 
that  the  carcass  was  gone,  as  I  expected  it  would  be,  but 
that  the  place  where  the  skin  was  cached  was  apparently 
undisturbed.  'Ah,  you  rascal!'  said  I,  addressing  aloud 
the  absent  Carcajou,  "I  have  outwitted  you  for  once.'  I 
lighted  my  pipe,  and  proceeded  leisurely  to  dig  up  the  skin 
to  place  in  my  muskimoot.  I  went  clear  down  to  the 
ground,  on  this  side  and  on  that,  but  no  Lynx-skin  was 
there.  The  Carcajou  had  been  there  before  me,  and  had 
carried  it  off  along  with  the  carcass;  but  he  had  taken  the 
pains  to  fill  up  the  hole  again  and  make  everything  as 
smooth  as  before. 

"At  Peer  s  River,  on  one  occasion,  a  very  old  Carcajou 
discovered  my  marten-road,  on  which  I  had  nearly  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  traps.  I  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the  line 
about  once  a  fortnight,  but  the  beast  fell  into  the  way  of 

32 


498  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

coming  ofteiier  than  I  did — to  my  great  annoyance  and  vex- 
ation. I  determined  to  put  a  stoj)  to  liis  thieving  and  his 
life  together,  cost  what  it  might;  so  I  made  six  strong 
trajis  at  as  many  different  points,  and  also  set  three  steel- 
traps.  For  three  weeks  I  tried  my  best  to  catch  the  beast, 
without  success;  and  my  worst  enemy  would  allow  that  I 
am  no  green  hand  in  these  matters.  The  animal  carefully 
avoided  the  traps  set  for  his  own  benefit,  and  seemed  to  be 
taking  more  delight  than  ever  in  demolishing  my  marten- 
traps  and  eating  the  martens — scattering  tlie  poles  in  every 
direction,  and  caching  what  baits  or  martens  he  did  not 
devour  on  the  spot.  As  we  had  no  jDoisons  in  those  days,  I 
next  set  a  gun  on  the  bank  of  a  little  lake.  The  gun  was 
concealed  in  some  low  bushes,  but  the  bait  was  so  placed 
that  the  Carcajou  must  see  it  on  his  way  uj)  the  bank.  I 
blockaded  my  path  to  the  gun  wdth  a  small  pine-tree,  which 
completely  hid  it.  On  my  first  visit  afterward,  I  found  that 
the  beast  had  gone  up  to  the  bait  and  smelled  it,  but  had 
left  it  untouched.  He  had  next  pulled  uj)  the  pine-tree 
that  blocked  the  path,  and  gone  around  the  gun  and  cut  the 
line  wiiich  connected  the  bait  with  the  trigger,  just  behind 
the  muzzle.  Then  he  had  gone  back  and  ]3ulled  the 
bait  away,  and  cai-ried  it  out  on  the  lake,  where  he  laid 
down  and  devoured  it  at  his  leisure.  There  I  found  my 
string. 

"I  could  scarcely  believe  tliat  all  this  had  been  done 
designedly,  for  it  seemed  that  faculties  fully  on  a  par  wdth 
human  reason  would  be  required  for  such  an  exploit,  if 
done  intentionally.  I  therefore  re-arranged  things,  tying 
the  string  where  it  had  been  bitten,  Ijut  the  result  was 
exactly  the  same  on  three  successive  occasions,  as  I  could 
plainly  see  by  the  foot-prints;  and  what  is  most  singular  of 
all,  each  time  the  brute  w^as  careful  to  cut  the  line  a  little 
})ack  of  where  it  had  been  tied  before,  as  if  actually  reason- 
ing with  himself  that  even  tlie  knots  might  be  some  new 
device  of  mine,  and  therefore  a  source  of  hidden  danger  he 
would  i:)rudently  avoid.  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  that 
Carcajou  ought  to  live,  as  he  must  be  something  at  least 


THE   WOLVERINE.  499 

human,  if  not  more.  I  gave  it  up,  and  abandoned  the  road 
for  a  period. 

"On  another  occasion,  a  Carcajou  amused  himself  by 
tracking  my  line  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  demolish- 
ing my  trax)s  as  fast  as  I  could  set  them.  I  x)nt  a  large 
steel -trap  in  the  middle  of  a  path  that  branched  off  among 
some  willows,  spreading  no  bait,  but  risking  the  chance 
that  the  animal  would  '  put  his  foot  in  it '  on  his  way  to 
break  a  trap  at  the  end  of  a  path.  On  my  next  visit,  I 
found  that  the  trap  was  gone,  but  I  noticed  the  blood  and 
entrails  of  a  hare  that  had  evidently  been  caught  in  the 
trap,  and  devoured  by  the  Carcajou  on  the  spot.  Examin- 
ing his  foot-prints,  I  was  satisfied  that  he  had  not  been 
caught,  and  I  took  up  his  trail. 

"Proceeding  about  a  mile  through  the  woods,  I  came  to 
a  small  lake,  on  the  banks  of  which  I  recognized  traces  of 
the  trap,  which  the  beast  had  laid  down  while  he  went  a 
few  steps  to  one  side.  He  had  then  returned  and  picked 
u^)  the  trap,  which  he  had  carried  across  the  lake,  with 
many  a  twist  and  turn  on  the  hard  crust  of  snow  to  mislead 
his  expected  pursuer,  and  then  again  entered  the  woods.  I 
followed  for  about  half  a  mile  farther,  and  then  came  to  a 
large  hole  dug  in  the  snow.  This  place,  however,  seemed 
not  to  have  suited  him,  for  there  was  nothing  there.  A 
few  yards  farther  on,  however,  I  found  a  neatly  built 
mound  of  snow  on  which  the  animal  had  left  his  mark;  this 
I  knew  was  his  cache.  Using  one  of  my  snow-shoes  for 
a  spade,  I  dug  into  the  hillock  and  down  to  the  ground,  the 
snow  being  about  four  feet  deep;  and  there  I  found  my  trap, 
with  the  toes  of  a  rabbit  still  in  the  jaws.  Could  it  have 
been  the  animal' s  instinctive  im^^ulse  to  hide  prey  that  made 
him  carry  my  trap  so  far  merely  for  the  morsel  of  meat 
still  held  in  \X\  Or  did  his  cunning  nature  prompt  him 
to  hide  the  trap,  for  fear  that  on  some  future  occasion 
he  might  put  his  own  toes  in  it  and  share  the  rabbit's 
fate?" 

Coues  also  selects  the  following  from  Captain  Cart- 
wrighfs  journal:     "Incoming  to  the  foot  of  Table  Hill,  I 


500  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

crossed  the  track  of  a  Wolverine  with  one  of  Mr.  Calling- 
ham's  traps  on  his  foot;  the  Foxes  had  followed  his  bleed 
ing  track.  As  this  beast  went  through  the  thick  of  the 
woods,  under  the  north  side  of  the  hill,  where  the  snow  was 
so  deep  and  light  that  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  I 
could  follow  ,him,  even  on  Indian  rackets,  I  was  quite 
puzzled  to  know  how  he  had  contrived  to  prevent  the  trap 
from  catching  hold  of  the  branches  of  trees,  or  sinking  in 
the  snow.  But  on  coming  up  with  him,  I  discovered  how 
he  had  managed;  for  after  making  an  attempt  to  fly  at  me, 
he  took  the  tra^^  in  his  mouth  and  ran  upon  three  legs. 
These  creatures  are  surprisingly  strong  in  proportion  to 
their  size;  this  one  weighed  only  twenty- six  pounds,  and 
the  trax^  eight,  yet,  including  all  the  turns  he  had  taken,  he 
had  carried  it  six  miles." 

The  Earl  of  Southesk,  in  "Saskatchewan,''  has  this  to 
say  of  his  experience  with  the  Wolverine,  at  Fort  Pelly,  on 
December  11,  1859: 

'  'A  few  nights  ago,  Mr.  Murray  heard  his  dog  barking 
incessantly  for  no  apparent  reason.  Happening  next  morn- 
ing to  open  a  half-finished  store-house,  the  dog  rushed 
furiously  in,  but  came  out  again  with  still  greater  quick- 
ness, ui^on  which  his  master  looked  into  the  shed,  and 
there  beheld  the  cause  of  the  disturbance  in  the  shape  of 
a  Wolverine,  who,  after  his  nocturnal  i^rowlings,  had  taken 
refuge  in  this  convenient  hiding-place.  The  beast  was 
slowly  retreating,  with  his  face  to  the  door  through  which 
the  dog  had  entered;  but  an  ounce  of  shot  soon  tamed  his 
courage  by  ending  his  life.  .  .  .  No  beast  is  so  cunning 
as  the  Wolverine — the  Fox  is  a  sucking  dove  comj)ared  to 
him.  .  .  .  Where  he  haunts,  it  is  useless  to  store  meat 
on  stages,  for,  Beaver-like,  he  cuts  through  great  trees 
with  his  teeth,  and  soon  brings  down  any  edifice  of  wood. 
His  courage  is  dauntless;  he  files  neither  from  man  nor 
beast,  and  woe  to  the  dog  that  comes  within  reach  of  his 
jaws." 

In  the  ensuing  description  of  a  cache,  in  "Ocean  to 
Ocean,""    l)y  the  Rev.  G.  M.  Grant,  the  above-mentioned 


THE   WOLVERINE. 


601 


propensity  of  the  animal  for  tree-cutting  is  again  hinted  at, 
as  well  as  his  keenness  of  scent: 

"Brown  advised  that,  as  this  was  a  good  place,  some 
provisions  be  cached  for  those  of  the  party  who  were  to 
return  from  Jasper's;  and  Valad  selecting  a  site  in  the 
greenwood,  he  and  BeaujDre  went  off  to  it  from  the  oppo- 
site direction,  with  about  twenty-five  pounds  of  pemmican 
and  flour,  tied  u})  first  in  canvas  and  then  in  oil -skin,  as 
the  Wolverine — most  dreaded  plunderer  of  cacJies — dislikes 
the  smell  of  oil.  Selecting  two  suitable  j)ine-trees  in  the 
thick  wood,  they  skinned  (barked)  them  to  prevent  animals 
from  climbing;  then  placing  a  pole  between  the  two,  some 
eighteen  feet  from  the  ground,  they  hung  a  St.  Andrew's 
cross  of  two  small  sticks  from  the  pole,  and  suspended 
their  bag  from  the  end  of  one,  that  the  least  movement,  or 
even  puff  of  wind,  would  set  it  swinging.  Such  a  cache 
Valad  guaranteed  against  bird  and  beast  of  whatever 
kind." 

Whether  his  guarantee  held  good,  or  whether  the  Wol- 
verine, disregarding  the  cross  and  defying  the  ingenuity 
of  the  'Goyageurs,  x)lundered  the  cache^  the  historian  does 
not  state. 


THE  WILDCAT. 


By  Daniel  Arrowsmith  ("Sanga-mon"). 


^HIS  animal  is  comnion  to  the  whole  of  the  Middle 
and  Western  United  States;  but  it  is  not  nearly  so 
"M  l^y  plentiful  now  as  formerly,  when  those  States  were 
^*  comparatively  a  wilderness.  At  present,  it  is  only 
found  in  broken,  hilly,  rocky,  brushy,  and  thinly  settled 
districts. 

In  size,  the  Wildcat  is  about  two  and  one-half  feet  in 
length,  lifteen  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulders,  and  weighs 
from  twenty  to  thirty  pounds.  It  is  of  a  dark  brindle- 
gray  color  on  the  back  and  down  to  mid-sides;  the  ground- 
color becomes  lighter  as  it  approaches  the  belly;  the  lower 
sides  and  belly  are  covered  with  round,  black  spots,  edged 
or  circled  with  a  yellowish  hue.  These  spots  are  from  the 
size  of  a  hickory-nut,  on  the  sides,  to  that  of  a  small  jDea  on 
the  belly. 

The  tail  is  about  four  inches  long,  and  has  a  curtailed, 
stumpy  appearance.  The  eyes  and  ears  are  large,  the 
former  being  about  the  size  of  those  of  the  great  horned 
owl,  and  bearing  a  striking  resemblance  to  them;  the  feet, 
about  the  size  of  those  of  the  Gray  Fox,  and  armed  with 
strong,  hooked,  and  very  sharp  claws,  which  are  concealed 
when  at  rest,  as  is  the  case  with  all  Felidce. 

The  whole  body  is  covered  with  a  dense  fur,  somewhat 
longer  than  that  of  the  house-cat,  to  which,  in  fact,  he 
bears  a  striking  resemblance  in  body  and  form;  but  the 
Wildcat  is  about  two  and  one-half  times  as  large  as  the 
largest  "Tom"  of  our  domestic  cats. 

The  Wildcat  dens  in  clefts  of  rocks,  and  old  hollow  logs, 
and  preys  upon  birds,  rabbits,  and  other  small  animals, 
being  particularly  destructive  to  young  pigs.     One  pair  of 

(  503; 


?04  BIG    GAME   OF   NOKTH    AMERICA. 

these  "varmints"  has  been  known  to  destroy  a  whole  lit- 
ter of  from  eight  to  ten  pigs  in  a  single  night.  They  will 
steal  up  to  a  hog-bed,  spring  into  it,  snatch  up  a  pig  and 
make  their  escajw  almost  before  the  old  sow  is  aware  of 
their  presence.  They  generally  go  in  pairs  -male  and 
female;  and  where  you  iind  one,  you  may  certainly  count 
on  the  other  being  near. 

The  rutting-season  of  this  Cat  is  from  the  middle  of 
December  to  the  middle  of  January,  and  they  drop  their 
young— of  which  there  are  from  three  to  six — from  about 
the  middle  to  the  last  of  March.  During  the  love-making 
season,  they  are  not  unlike  the  domestic  Thomas  and  Maria 
in  making  night  in  the  woods  and  hills  hideous  with  their 
ear-splitting  screams  and  caterwauls. 

The  Wildcat  is  a  savage  lighter.  An  old  Tom  can  stand 
off  a  whole  pack  of  common  dogs,  and  indeed  it  takes  a 
very  resolute  dog  to  seize  and  kill  one;  for  while  the  dog  is 
worrying  him,  he  is  getting  in  his  work  on  the  dog,  in  a 
most  lively  and  vigorous  manner,  with  teeth  and  toe-nails. 
About  this  time,  one  can  safely  wager  that  there  is  some 
hair  flying. 

The  most  successful  method  of  hunting  these  animals  is 
to  start  them  up  with  the  Fox-hound,  before  which  they 
make  a  good,  exciting  run  of  from  one  to  two  hours;  and  in 
this  run  they  are  as  cunning  to  dodge  and  double  as  Rey- 
nard. But  when  close  pressed,  they  Avill  take  to  a  tree, 
from  which  they  can  easily  be  shot. 

They  are  often  caught  in  steel-traps.  While  residing  in 
Southwest  Missouri.  T  knew  a  l>oy  who  caught  eight  or  ten, 
during  the  winter  of  1867-68.  In*  building  in  the  woods,  with 
small  poles,  a  pen.  in  wliich  he  placed  some  old  live 
roosters,  and  covered  the  pen  so  as  to  protect  them.  He 
then  placed  steel-traps  along  each  side  of  the  outside  of  the 
pHii.  The  crowing  of  the  old  cocks  would  attract  the 
attention  of  any  Wildcat  that  was  near,  and  lure  linn  to 
the  peiK  and  in  his  endeavors  to  get  at  the  chickens,  he 
would  get  a  foot  into  a  trap,  and  then  fall  an  easy  victim  to 
"Bent''  Shelton's  old  musket  in  the  morninu'. 


THE   WILDCAT.  605 

My  first  introduction  to  this  variety  of  sport  was  late  in 
the  fall  of  1868,  while  on  a  hunting-trip  in  Cass  County, 
Missouri.  One  night,  there  came  a  light  fall  of  snow.  The 
next  morning,  by  the  time  it  was  light,  I  was  in  the  woods, 
near  a  large,  open  prairie-bottom  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
long  by  half  a  mile  wide.  This  bottom  lay  on  the  south  side 
of  Grand  River,  just  below  the  mouth  of  Pony  Creek.  I 
was  looking  for  Deer,  as  this  region  was  at  that  time  a 
famous  place  for  both  Deer  and  wild  turkeys.  Wolves, 
'Coons,  Wildcats,  and  other  "varmints"  abounded.  It 
being  but  a  short  time  after  the  close  of  the  great  fratri- 
cidal strife  that  agitated  our  country,  during  which  there 
was  a  general  let-up  in  the  hunting  of  the  natural  fauna  of 
the  woods  and  prairies,  these  animals  had  multiplied  and 
were  abundant.  I  had  just  come  out,  and  was  standing 
inside  the  brush,  on  a  little  ridge  just  above  the  bottom, 
when  I  saw  a  large  buck  coming  out  of  the  woods  some 
eighty  yards  below  me.  I  bleated  for  him  to  stop,  and  on 
his  doing  so,  fired  and  shot  him  through,  but  too  far  back 
to  down  him  at  once.  Upon  being  struck,  he  plunged  off 
down  into  the  bottom,  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight  in  the  tall 
"rail,"  or  slough-grass,  with  which  this  part  of  the  bottom 
was  covered. 

Reloading  my  rifle,  I  took  up  his  trail  and  struck  out 
after  him,  hoping  to  soon  find  him  dead.  Getting  out  into 
the  long  grass,  I  almost  stepped  on  a  large  doe,  which 
bounded  u^d;  and  by  the  time  she  made  her  second  jump,  I 
put  a  bullet  through  her,  and  laid  her  out.  At  the  crack  of 
my  rifle,  up  bounded  two  tremendous  bucks  that  had  been 
lying  some  twenty  feet  ahead  of  me,  and  made  off  through 
the  high  grass.  After  noting  the  place,  so  as  to  have  no 
trouble  in  finding  my  dead  Deer,  I  went  on  and  tried  to 
trail  up  my  wounded  buck.  Because  of  the  lightness  of  the 
fall  of  snow  wiiich  here  lay  upon  the  high  grass,  it  was 
difficult  trailing.  The  sun  coming  up  clear  and  warm,  soon 
melted  the  snow^,  so  I  gave  it  up  as  a  hard  job.  I  then  went 
across  to  the  timber  which  lay  along  the  river,  and  fol- 
lowed it  down  to  the  eastern  or  lower  i^oint  of  the  open 


606  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

bottom,  and  had  just  turned  to  go  back  up  to  where  my 
dead  doe  hiy,  when  I  heard  a  pack  of  Fox-hounds  open  out 
in  full  cry  on  some  high,  brushy,  and  rocky  fjoints  at  the 
extreme  upper  end  of  the  bottom  through  which  I  had  just 
been  hunting, 

A  loud  '' whoojD-ee"  told  me  that  a  chase  of  some  kind 
was  on  hand.  The  hounds  seemed  to  be  coming  down 
through  the  north  side  of  the  little  prairie.  I  concluded 
they  had  jumped  a  Deer;  and  in  hopes  of  getting  in  a  shot, 
I  slipped  on  iij)  the  south  side  of  the  bottom  to  a  narrow 
l^oint  of  timber  which  jutted  out  into  it,  and  there  took  a 
stand  to  await  developments.  I  soon  saw  some  five  or  six 
horsemen  scatter  out  and  take  favorable  positions  for 
shooting;  two  of  them  on  my  side  of  the  bottom,  the  rest 
on  the  river  side. 

The  hounds  were  discoursing  some  lively  music,  and 
running  rapidly,  keeping  well  out  in  the  high  grass.  I  soon 
found  that  it  was  not  a  Deer  they  were  chasing,  for  had  it 
been,  I  could  have  seen  it  bounding  through  and  over  the 
grass.  I  was  satisfied  on  this  point.  The  hounds,  after  run- 
ning the  entire  length  of  the  bottom,  were  thrown  off  the 
trail  for  perhaps  ten  minutes.  They  then  tacked  about  and 
started  back  up  through  nearly  the  center  of  the  strip, 
making  the  woods  fairly  ring  with  their  musical  notes. 

I  walked  up  to  the  nearest  horseman,  whom  I  found  to 
be  "Bart"  Holderman.  He  said  that  he,  his  brother  Billy, 
George  Pulliam,  and  the  Stephens  boys  were  out  after 
Cats,  and  that  th-'  hounds  were  now  making  it  hot  for 
one  of  the  critters.  This  being  a  new  game  to  me,  I 
determined  to  see  it,  and  be  in  af  the  death  if  possible. 
After  a  run  of  perhaps  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  during 
which  the  quarry  doubled  some  two  or  three  times,  they 
finally  overhauled  and  brought  it  to  l)ay.  on  tlin  ground  in 
the  high  grass,  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  timber, 
and  some  two  hundred  yards  above  our  stand.  We  struck 
out  at  our  best  gait  for  the  scene  of  combat,  and  there,  in 
the  center  of  a  small  area,  where  the  grass  had  been 
knocked   down  by  the   hounds  in  the  scuffle,  lay,  on  its 


THE   WILDCAT.  507 

back,  one  of  the  fiercest-looking  animals,  for  its  size,  that  I 
had  ever  seen.  It  seemed  that  when  the  hounds  had  over- 
taken it,  they  had  seized  it,  and,  in  turn,  had  been  forced 
to  let  go,  and  get  out  of  reach  of  its  teeth  and  sharp 
claws. 

This  was  i)lainly  evident  from  the  bloody  marks  on  their 
heads,  necks,  and  sides.  The  more  resolute  dogs,  on  being 
urged,  would  spring  forward  to  get  a  hold ;  but  with  a  fierce 
"spit"  of  rage  and  a  swift  stroke  of  the  paw,  the  brute 
would  send  them  flying  back  out  of  its  reach.  The  boys 
had  all  come  riding  up  except  two,  one  of  whom  was  Pul- 
liam,  who  was  farthest  away  when  the  Cat  was  overtaken. 
He  soon  showed  up,  too,  and  with  him  was  his  large,  ugly, 
dark  brindle-colored  dog,  named  Stump — a  regular  "var- 
mint dog"  — a  combination  of  meat-ax  and  bull,  whose 
tail  had  been  discounted  fifty,  twenty-five,  and  ten  per  cent. ; 
hence  his  name.  His  chief  and  only  reputation  was  that 
he  would  fight  to  the  death  with  any  varmint,  no  matter 
what  were  the  odds.  With  the  boys,  on  occasions  like  this, 
he  was  a  necessary  adjunct,  and  the  main  stand-by. 

As  soon  as  Bart  saw  George  coming,  he  called  to  him  to 
hurry  up  with  old  Stump. 

"Here,  Stump,  here,  here,  whoop-ee!" 
All  this  time,  the  baying  of  the  hounds — eight  of  them 
— together  with  the  cheers  of  the  hunters,  made  a  most 
deafening  racket.  Old  Stump,  guided  alone  by  the  noise, 
soon  put  in  an  appearance,  and  was  not  loath  to  lay  hold, 
notwithstanding  the  severe  punishments  he  had  in  former 
times  and  on  similar  occasions  I'eceived,  one  of  which  was  the 
loss  of  an  ear,  which  had  either  been  clawed  or  chewed  off 
so  close  to  his  head  that  the  remnant  resembled  the  upper 
section  of  a  coarse-toothed  buzz-saw;  and  of  the  other,  but 
little  more  remained,  and  that  pretty  well  split  up.  He 
seemed  to  know  just  what  was  expected  of  him.  With  a 
growl  and  a  rush,  he  seized  the  Cat  across  the  breast,  just 
below  the  arms,  crushed  and  shook  it  as  a  ratter  would  a  rat, 
and  soon  took  all  the  fight  out  of  it.  No  sooner  had  he  laid 
hold  than  in  rushed  the  other  dogs,  only  to  get  a  further 


608  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

touch  of  terrible  punishment  from  the  feet  of  the  Cat  in  its 
dying  struggles. 

On  another  occasion,  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Har- 
rison, and  myself,  with  a  jDair  of  Fox-hound  pux)pies  belong- 
ing to  him,  started  and  i^ut  up,  after  a  two-hours'  run,  a 
large  male  Cat.  A  four-inch  snow  lay  on  the  ground;  the 
day  was  still  and  clear,  and  quite  warm — a  fine  day  for  the 
sport.  We  came  across  the  tracks  of  the  animal  where  it 
had  been  rustling  around  on  the  previous  night.  Putting 
the  puppies  on  the  trail,  we  soon  jumped  him  from  some 
large  rocks  where  he  had  been  lying,  sunning  himself.  In 
the  run  that  followed,  he  tried  his  doubling  tactics  four  or 
five  times;  but  we  being  well  mounted,  and  there  being  no 
fences  to  bother  us,  kejot  close  to  the  puppies,  and  would 
put  them  to  "rights"  when  the  Cat  would  attempt  its 
dodges.  We  also  had  with  us  a  Greyhound.  When,  after 
about  two  hours'  chasing,  this  Greyhound  got  sight  of  the 
quaiTy,  we  witnessed  some  tall  running  for  about  two  hun- 
dred yards.  Then  the  old  "Tom"  ran  up  a  shell-bark 
hickorj'-tree.  and  ensconced  himself  in  a  body -crotch  about 
forty  feet  above  the  ground.  From  this  perch,  Harrison 
tumbled  him  out,  dead,  with  a  load  of  buckshot  from  an 
old  Harper's  Ferry  musket  which  he  carried.  This  Wildcat 
was  the  largest  of  the  species  I  ever  saw,  and  would  have 
cleaned  out,  in  a  fair  fight,  all  three  of  our  dogs. 


L 

■^^■'' 

!i:  :;^9^^S 

^^_ 

^*i 

^^Hh 

^Hgt^ 

■A.   'f^/M 

^^B^^m 

^^^^HB^^':v_ 

^-^r^aK^ 

^1 

^^^^Ei:::^'^ts 

^^■Nil 

1 

r 

H^'':f 

nfw*.^i=:^ 

^M 

IN  AT  THE  DEATH. 


'COON-HUNTIXG  IN  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS. 


By  Daniel  Arrowsmith  ("Sangamon"). 


^HE  Raccoon  is  found  tliroughont  the  whole  of  the 
United  States  and  the  southern  parts  of  British 
America.  It  is  one  of  the  smaller  species  of  the 
^^i  Plantigrade,  or  Bear  tribe,  and  is  about  three  feet 
in  length  from  nose  to  tip  of  tail,  the  latter  being  about 
ten  inches  long.  The  body  is  covered  with  a  long,  dense 
coat  of  dark-brown  fur,  the  outer  tips  of  a  grayish  color. 
The  tail  has  five  black  rings  of  coarse  fur,  some  two 
inches  apart,  and  the  tip  is  black.  The  animal  when  in 
full  flesh,  in  late  autumn,  weighs  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five 
pounds— some  few  specimens  exceeding  the  latter  figure  by 
a  few  pounds. 

The  Raccoon  is  one  of  the  valuable  fur-bearing  animals 
of  North  America.  In  the  early  settlement  of  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  States,  when  money  was  scarce,  the  '  Coon-skin 
passed  as  current  funds,  and  was  usually  valued  at  twenty- 
five  cents. 

The  Raccoon  is  a  nocturnal  animal.  It  scarcely  ever 
shows  itself  during  the  day-time,  but  lies  coiled  up  in  the 
upper  hollow  of  some  old,  decaying  tree,  and  then  comes 
forth  after  night-fall  to  rustle  for  its  food. 

It  is  omnivorous.  In  the  spring  and  early  summer,  it 
feeds  on  craw-fish,  frogs,  birds,  and  eggs,  and  will  make 
frequent  visits  to  the  hen-roosts  of  the  farmer.  It  also  eats 
berries,  wild  grapes,  acorns,  and  corn,  of  which  it  is  as  fond 
as  a  hog.  It  frequents  the  corn-fields  from  the  time  of 
roasting-ears  until  the  corn  is  all  gathered.  On  such  food, 
it  becomes  exceedingly  fat,  and  when  in  this  condition, 
makes  a  splendid  roast  for  the  table. 

(509) 


olo 


Bia   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 


Like  the  Black  Bear,  the  'Coon  hibernates  during  the 
cold  storms  of  winter;  but  should  the  weather  l)e  open,  he 
will  l)e  out  every  night. 

Their  rutting-season  is  from  about  the  20th  of  January 
to  the  middle  of  February,  and  they  bring  forth,  about  the 
1st  of  .^jnil,  from  three  to  six  young. 

The  Raccoon  is  easily  taken  in  steel -traps;  and  to  be 
successful  in  their  capture,  the  trap  should  always  be  set 
under  water,  near  the  edges  of  swamps  or  running  streams. 
But  the  best  sport  to  be  had  in  their  capture  is  to  hunt 


them  in  the  night,  with  dogs  trained  for  the  pur]iose.     The 
best  dog  for  this  sport  is  the  black-and-tan  Fox-hound. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  the  'Coon  leaves  the'least  foot- 
scent  of  any  known  animal;  but  I  beg  leave  to  differ  from 
those  who  make  this  assertion.  He  is  a  night  traveler,  at  a 
time  of  the  twenty-four  hours  when  the  temperature  is  the 
lowest;  while  animals  like  the  Fox.  the  rabbit,  or  the  Deer, 
are  generally  chased  during  the  day,  when  the  temperature 
is  higher.  Take  a  Fox-hound  and  put  him,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  day,  when  the  temperature  is  rising,  on  a  'Coon- 
trail   which  was  made  in  the  early  part  of   the  previous 


'coox-iirxTixo  IX  s;<)UTin:RX  illixois.  511 

night,  and  he  will  invariabl}'  trail  the  'Coon  to  where  it  has 
holecl-uj)  for  the  clay.  This,  with  my  hounds,  I  have 
repeatedly  done;  and  I  have  seen  it  done  by  liounds  owned 
by  others. 

During  the  winter  of  1864-65,  I  saw  a  Fox-hound  bitch, 
owned  by  Mr.  Henry  Fry,  trail  and  tree  Raccoons  at  mid- 
day which  had  been  running  the  previous  night,  there 
being  a  ten-inch  snow  that  had  been  on  the  ground  for 
some  time.  The  warm  sun  during  the  day  had  softened 
the  snow,  and  at  night  it  had  frozen  hard  enough  to  form 
a  crust  sufficiently  firm  to  bear  up  even  a  dog;  and  it 
being  the  rutting-season,  the  'Coons  were  out  on  their 
amorous  trips  every  night,  racing  around,  when  the  crust 
would  bear  them. 

On  the  following  day.  Fry  and  myself  would  take  our 
axes  and  his  hound  into  the  woods,  and  just  so  soon  as  the 
warm  rays  of  the  sun  would  soften  the  snow-crust,  making 
it  damp,  she  would,  on  coming  to  where  a  'Coon  had  been, 
take  its  trail  and  follow  it  to  the  tree  up  which  it  had  gone, 
and  in  an  upper  hollow  of  which  it  was  then  ensconced. 
We  would  then  cut  the  tree  down  and  get  the  'Coon. 
Sometimes  we  would  get  two  out  of  the  same  hollow.  It 
is  not  the  "cold  foot"  of  the  'Coon,  but  the  time  of 
the  night  or  the  day  in  which  it  has  left  its  trail,  that 
hinders  or  aids  the  dog  in  following  it.  This  is  why  the 
best  nights  for  '  Coon-hunting  are  when  the  wind  is  from 
the  south. 

"Hark!  Listen!  What  noise  is  that,  away  off  in  the 
Old  Town  woods  r'  was  asked,  by  a  recent  arrival  in  this 
region,  of  a  resident  friend  with  whom  he  was  riding  along 
the  road  skirting  the  above-named  woods,  one  dark  night 
in  November.  They  halted  their  horses,  when  "  Boo-woo- 
ouh  !  "  "  Youck !  youck  !  youck  !  "  "  Whoop-ee  I  "  came 
floating  to  their  ears,  on  the  gentle  southwest  breeze,  from 
the  dark  and  lonely  forest. 

"Oh,"  answers  his  companion,  "that's  Fry  and  Arrow- 
smith,  out  with  their  hounds  after  a  'Coon." 


612  BIG   GAME   <>F    NORTH   AMERICA. 

'  "After  a  '  Coon  tliis  time  of  night  ?  Is  that  the  way  to 
hunt  'Coons  (  Certainly,  there  can't  be  much  sport  in  tramp- 
ing through  the  dark  woods  on  such  a  night  as  this.  Why 
not  hunt  them  in  the  day-time  T' 

Poor,  unappreciative  fellow,  who  has  never  known  the 
fun  of  racing  through  the  dark  aisles  of  the  forest,  falling 
over  twisted  roots  or  rotten  logs,  dodging  under  low,  out- 
stretched limbs,  keeping  time  to  .the  enlivening  music  of  a 
dozen  hounds  in  full  cry!  Yes,  and  how  well  would  either 
of  us  like  to  have  him  with  us,  to  initiate  him  by  losing 
him  and  leaving  him  to  keep  up  with  us  as  best  he  could  I 
The  latter  he  would  be  compelled,  under  the  circumstances, 
to  do;  for  it  would  be  worse  than  useless  for  him  to  under- 
take to  find  his  way,  unaided,  out  of  these  dark,  wild 
woods,  to  light  and  civilization.  A  few  brier-scratches,  a 
slight  rent  or  two  in  his  coat,  or  a  few  beggar-lice  adhering 
to  his  garments,  would  go  a  long  way  toward  taking  all 
the  taste  for 'Coon-hunting  out  of  him.  Many's  the  time 
we  have  cooked  such  fellows.  Once  was  enough;  they 
wanted  no  more. 

But  softly,  my  dear  friend;  before  joii  condemn  such 
sport,  come  with  us,  and  enjoy  the  music  of  the  woods 
after  night-fall — the  low,  murmuring  trill  of  the  brooklet, 
the  soft,  gentle  breeze  in  its  whispers  through  the  tops  of 
the  lofty  oaks,  the  tall  shell-bark  hickories,  the  towering 
maples,  and  the  wide-spreading  elms;  the  silence  broken 
occasionally  by  the  ghostly  "  to-who-who-who-wiio-ah  "  of 
the  great  horned  owl,  as  he  calls  to  his  mate  from  his  x^erch 
on  the  dead  limb  of  some  ancient  monarch  of  the  forest. 
The  very  stillness  is  of  itself  music  to  the  ardent  lover  of 
Nature  and  Nature's  God. 

Silently  we  travel  from  point  to  point,  guided,  in  our 
wanderings  through  the  trackless  woods,  by  the  constella- 
tions of  Orion,  the  great  Northern  Dipper,  Ursus  Major, 
and  the  Pleiades,  whose  silent  tongues  tell  us  our  course. 

Just  at  dusk  on  a  warm  evening  in  early  November,  as  a 
gentle  breeze  came  uj:)  from  the  south,  Henry  Fry  rode  up 
to  my  gate,  accompanied  by  his  two  black-and-tan  hounds. 


'cOON-IirXTING   IX   SOTTilERN    ILLINOIS,  513 

Drummer  and  Bliicher,  and  called  to  me  to  get  my  ritle  and 
hounds,  and  come  with  him,  for  it  was  going  to  be  a 
"boss"  night  for  'Coons.  Having  put  his  horse  in  the 
stable,  I  got  my  old  Remington  ritle  and  hunting-horn. 
On  the  latter  I  gave  three  blasts,  to  enthuse  the  hounds 
and  make  them  keen  for  the  sport,  and  we  started  for  the 
woods. 

"  Where  shall  we  hunt  to-night,  Henry  ?"  I  asked. 

"Well,  as  the  moon  don't  rise  till  late,  and  the  fore  part 
of  the  night  will  be  dark,  so  that  we  can't  see  so  well  to 
shoot,  we'd  better  strike  for  tlie  Funk  woods.  Funk  has 
reserved  this  tract  for  the  special  benefit  of  us  '  Coon-hunt 
ers.  Here  we  are  allowed  to  cut  and  carve.  If  the  moon 
was  up,  we"d  hunt  along  the  edges  of  the  timber,  wiiere  they 
don't  allow  chopping,  for  there  we  could  shoot." 

Funk's  woods  was  a  tract  of  some  six  or  seven  hundred 
acres  of  the  heaviest  and  best  timber  in  the  State,  and 
owned  by  an  old  land  speculator  by  the  name  of  Funk.  On 
it  no  chopping  was  allowed,  save  the  cutting  of  "bee-trees" 
and  "'Coon-trees."  Funk  lived  in  a  remote  part  of  the 
county,  therefore  it  would  have  been  a  huge  undertaking 
to  find  out  and  prosecute  trespassers,  even  had  he  wished 
to  do  so. 

Soon  after  entering  the  woods,  old  Drummer  opened 
up  on  a  fresh  trail,  some  two  hundred  yards  ahead  of  us. 
Soon  every  hound  responded  to  the  deep,  musical  bell-tones 
of  the  old  "  strike-dog,"  and  joined  him  in  hot  haste,  mak- 
ing "the  welkin  ring."'  To  all  was  given  an  encouraging 
"whoop-ee"  by  the  hunters. 

The  liounds  for  a  few  moments  a^ipeared  to  be  at  fault, 
wiiich  generally  is  the  case  on  first  striking  a  trail,  no  mat- 
ter how  fresh  it  may  be.  This  is  due,  perhaps,  to  the  zig- 
zag course  that  the  Raccoon  generally  travels  in,  especially 
if  he  be  feeding  under  beech  or  burr-oaks,  or  in  a  corn-field. 
Now,  however,  they  have  straightened  out  on  the  trail,  and 
are  taking  it  up  fast  and  furious.  The  voice  of  each  is 
easily  distinguished  from  that  of  another.  Tenor,  soft  and 
deep  bass  are  blended  in  melodious  harmony,  making  the 

33 


514  lUG  <;a.me  of  xoirni  amkiiica. 

cltMi.>5e  woods  fiiiily  vibrate.  Tliey  soon  wake  up  the  eclioes 
of  the  far-off  hills,  as  they  speedily  close  up  the  distance 
between  them  and  the  old  plantigrade,  who  is  now  begin- 
ning to  realize  that  he  is  al)out  "to  be  caught  out  in  a  hard 
shower,''  and  had  best  betake  himself  to  shelter,  which  he 
does  by  scaling  the  largest  tree  within  reach.  He  is  none 
too  soon,  for  the  seemingly  wild  and  furious  demons  are 
already  at  the  roots  of  the  tree  ere  he  has  reached  a  place 
of  concealment. 

Finding  that  the  'Coon  has  gone  i\i)  the  tree,  the  tones  of 
the  hounds  change  from  the  musical  bawl  to  sharp,  defiant 
barks,  plainly  announcing  the  fact  that  they  have  treed, 
and  need  our  assistance.  An  encouraging  "tally-ho;'  tells 
them  we  are  coming.  IS^ow  it  is  a  blind  race  to  the  dogs — 
every  fellow  for  himself — through  brush,  over  fallen  logs; 
stubbing  our  toes  against  grubs  or  twisted  roots;  bat- 
ting our  heads  against  saplings  that  we  didn't,  or  perhaps 
couldn't,  see;  or,  if  your  course  lay,  for  a  time,  in  an  old 
road,  plunging  from  ankle-deep  to  knee-deep  in  water  and 
mud.  Such  is  the  wild  race,  and  no  one  is  worse  for  the 
wear.  Indeed,  who  ever  heard  of  a  real  enthusiastic 
'Coon-hunter  getting  seriously  hurt  while  marching  on  the 
double-quick  to  the  exciting  music  of  the  hounds.  Xo  mat- 
ter how  dark  the  night,  or  how  many  wild  grape-vine  tan- 
gles he  may  encounter,  or  how  rough  the  ground  he  passes 
over,  he  lands  at  the  tree,  "top  side  up,  wdth  care,"  every 
time. 

I  once  hit  a  young  hunting-friend  a  severe  blow,  with  the 
muzzle  of  a  long,  twelve-pound  rifie,  across  the  eyebrows, 
felling  him  to  the  ground;  but  he  claimed  that  "it  didn't 
hurt  him  a  bit,''  although  his  left  eye  was  black  for  a  week. 
Wh  had  put  up  a  'Coon  with  our  hounds,  one  dark  night, 
on  a  large,  tall  red  oak,  and  had  built  a  rousing  fire 
near  the  roots  of  the  tree,  to  keep  us  comfortable  until  day- 
light, when  we  would  be  al^le  to  locate  and  shoot  the  'Coon. 
On  the  api)roach  of  daylight.  I  saw  the  old  corn-stealer 
high  up  in  the  tree,  and  knew  that  from  its  position  it 
was  likely  to  fall,  when  shot,  right  into  our  fire. 


'COOX-IIUNTING   IX   SOUTIIERX   ILLINOIS.  515 

I  told  my  friend  to  be  ready  to  snatch  it  out  should  it 
fall  there.  He  was  standing  just  behind  me  from  the  lire, 
and  at  the  crack  of  my  rifle,  sprung  forward  as  I  lowered  it 
from  my  shoulder,  and  received  a  murderous  blow.  Never- 
theless, he  regained  his  feet,  and  snatched  the  'Coon  up 
out  of  the  embers  as  soon  as  it  fell.  I  was  well  aware  that 
such  a  blow  did  hurt,  but  he  insisted  that  it  did  not;  and 
since  then  I  have  had  many  a  laugh  at  him  about  it.  He 
was  doubtless  so  excited  at  the  time,  over  the  securing  of 
the  game,  that  he  didn't  feel  the  blow. 

Fry  and  myself  soon  reached  the  point  where  our  dogs 
were  baying,  found  they  had  treed  the  'Coon  on  a  large 
sugar-maple,  and  soon  located  him,  in  a  crotch  pretty  well 
uj)  toward  the  top.  A  well-directed  bullet  soon  brought 
him  crashing  through  the  branches  to  terra  firma. 

After  allowing  our  dogs  to  worry  him  a  few  moments,  as 
a  recomjDense  for  their  chase,  we  stripjDed  off  his  jacket, 
and  started  on  for  another  chase.  We  soon  reached  the 
deep  woods  of  the  Funk  tract,  when,  far  off  to  our  left, 
we  heard  Bogus — a  splendid,  heavy,  young  hound  belong- 
ing to  the  writer — give  mouth  to  a  long-drawn,  deep,  wail- 
ing tone. 

"A  cold  track,"  said  Henry. 

"Yes;  he's  come  out  early." 

We  gave  a  "whoop  him  up,  old  fellow,"  and  almost 
immediately  he  was  joined  by  others  of  the  pack.  Here 
they  were  delayed  for  some  time.  "  Let's  go  over  to  them 
and  encourage  them,  and  aid  them  in  working  it  up,"  was 
suggested. 

"All  right." 

The  woods  here  being  free  from  dense  underbrush,  we 
soon  came  to  where  the  hounds  were  trying  to  unravel  the 
trail,  beneath  some  large  burr-oaks,  where  there  was  an 
abundance  of  acorns  on  the  ground.  Here  a  'Coon  had 
been  rustling  around  early  in  the  evening,  feeding  on  the 
oak-mast;  had  gone  first  in  one  direction  and  then  in 
another,  and  had  crossed  and  recrossed  his  tracks  so  often  as 
to  make  it  almost  an  impossibility  for  the  dogs  to  follow  him. 


616  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

The  dogs  were  scattered  about,  endeavoring  to  decipher 
and  solve  the  problem.  One  would  mount  a  log;  running 
along  upon  it,  and  scenting  it  closely,  he  would  find  where 
it  had,  in  its  course,  crossed  the  log.  Then  he  would  throw 
his  head  high  in  air,  and  give  vent  to  a  long-drawn  wail, 
when  the  other  dogs  would  run  to  his  aid,  to  take  up,  if 
possible,  the  trail 

''  But  where  is  old  Drummer^  He  was  here  just  before 
we  came  up." 

This  old  hound,  being  up  to  the  tricks  of  the  Raccoon, 
had  struck  off  to  make  a  wide  detour  on  the  outside,  and 
soon  gave  tongue,  in  a  livelier  tone,  some  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  away,  apparently  leading  toward  a  large  swamp 
or  pond  near  a  field  of  corn.  He  was  soon  joined  b}^  the 
others  of  the  pack;  but  the  trail  being  cold,  they  could  not 
move  off  on  it  much  faster  than  we  could  walk.  Having 
now  got  the  general  course  the  "  Coon  had  taken,  they  were 
not  hindered  much  when  at  fault,  but  would  strike  out  in  a 
half-circle  in  that  direction,  and  soon  strike  it  again. 

"Yes,  he's  going  for  that  pond,  where  he  will  play 
awhile,  and  then  he'll  go  over  into  that  corn-field,  where  no 
doubt  he  now  is,"  said  Fry. 

The  hounds  are  working  out  his  trail,  and  making  good 
headway;  but  occasionally  coming  to  some  burr-oak  or 
chinquapin,  where  the  'Coon  had  rambled  awhile,  they 
would  follow  his  windings  and  then  strike  out  again. 

The  pond  was  reached.  Here  the  game  had  meandered 
again.  The  dogs  race  back  and  forth  through  the  shallow 
water,  and  give  tongue  wherever  they  can  find  the  scent. 

"  Hark  I     Old  Spiring  has  found  him  I     Just  listen." 

Sure  enough.  She  had  tired  of  the  slow  work  of  trailing 
him  in  detail,  and  had  struck  off  into  the  corn-field.  There 
in  the  dense  corn,  where  the  falling  temperature  could  not 
so  readily  reach  the  ground,  the  track  of  the  'Coon  was 
apparently  fresh;  and  now  it  was  a  regular  Sioux  war-cry 
of  ••  Hi-yi-ki-yi,''  in  her  fine  voice.  The  other  hounds  hear- 
ing her.  and  realizing  the  situation,  there  was  a  perfect 
bedlam   of    hound-music.      No   time   was    lost  in   getting 


'COON-IIUNTIXG   IN   SOUTHERN   ILLINOIS.  517 

through  and  over  the  fence  into  the  standing  corn.  Here, 
as  well  as  in  the  woods,  Master  Plantigrade  had  made 
numerous  and  various  windings,  but  the  scent  being  strong, 
this  did  not  seriously  hinder  the  now  excited  pack.  On 
they  went,  the  music  of  their  voices  starting  every  farm- 
dog  in  the  country  to  barking.  ,  No  doubt  these  curs 
regretted  that  they  were  not  hounds,  that  they  too  could 
have  some  of  the  fun. 

The  hounds  soon  reached  the  far  side  of  the  corn,  some 
twenty  acres,  and  again  turned  toward  the  woods . 

"  Let's  get  on  the  fence  down  in  that  low  i)iece  of 
ground,  and  keep  still,  for  he  is  likely  to  pass  out  there 
when  the  dogs  get  close  to  him;  and  if  he  does,  we'll  j)rob- 
ably  hear  him." 

"  Yes,  here  they  come;  and  they  are  warming  him  to  his 
work — in  fact,  making  him  walk  his  chunk.  Hark  !  Hear 
him,  as  he  strikes  some  down  stalks  that  are  in  his 
course?" 

Yes;  and  he's  quite  a  distance  ahead  of  the  hounds. 
But  hold;  the  dogs  are  at  fault.  He  has  tacked  on  his 
course  to  throw  them  off,  but  not  for  long,  for  they  soon 
find  it  again;  and  here  they  come,  knocking  down  the  corn, 
in  their  wild  career,  like  so  many  scared  cattle.  Soon  they 
turn  back  into  the  field.  The  moon  now  lifts  her  golden 
head,  away  off  in  the  northeastern  horizon,  as  if  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  so  much  racket — lighting  up  the  gloomy  aisles 
of  the  forest;  while  two  or  three  old  cat-owls  begin  their 
"wall,  wall,  wah,  wah-o-ah,"  from  the  dead  top  of  an  old 
red  oak  near  by. 

Hark  !  The  hounds  have  again  turned,  and  now,  distant 
some  three  hundred  yards,  are  coming  almost  straight 
through  the  corn  to  where  we  are  on  the  fence;  each  vying 
with  the  other  for  the  lead.  The  trail  is  fresh  and  hot,  and 
each  is  giving  tongue,  fast  and  lively.  Listen  !  We  hear  a 
slight  rustling  among  the  dry  corn-stalks,  some  ten  yards 
distant,  and  soon  hear  Mr.  'Coon  creeping  through  between 
the  rails  of  the  fence.  Now  we  hear  him  making  off 
through  the  dry  leaves  that  lay  thick  on  the  ground. 


518  BIG   GAME   OF   XORTII   AMERICA. 

None  too  soon,  old  fellow,  for  here  they  come;  the  whole 
pack  not  five  yards  apart.  They  have  reached  the  old 
eight-rail  fence,  and  no  time  is  lost  in  scaling  it,  as  they 
make  the  top  rails  rattle  in  their  displacement  by  their 
ilying  heels. 

"Look!  do  you  see  .that,  Cottie  ? "  as  a  rabbit  dashed 
out  of  a  corner  of  the  fence,  near  where  the  dogs  crossed, 
and  took  down  through  an  open  path  j^arallel  to  the  fence. 

Our  old  owls,  too,  have  made  haste  and  sought  some 
other  part  of  the  woods,  where  they  can  see  just  as  well, 
and  not  be  disturbed  by  the  pandemonium.  The  old  plant- 
igrade, finding  things  rather  livelier  in  his  rear  than  he 
had  bargained  for,  after  running  about  one  hundred  yards 
from  the  field  fence,  took  shelter  in  the  upper  branches  of 
a  large  burr-oak.  The  moon  having  risen  sufficiently  high, 
there  was  no  trouble  in  locating  and  shooting  him.  And 
now,  having  had  sport  enough  for  one  night,  we  turned 
our  steps  homeward. 

One  morning,  about  the  first  of  June,  1886,  Just  at  sunrise, 
I  had  taken  a  bucket  and  started  to  the  well,  distant  about 

eighty  yards  from  the  house,  when  Mrs.  A ,  who  had 

been  feeding  her  poultry,  called  to  me,  and  said  there  was  a 
young  turkey  missing.  I  started  on  down  the  path  leading 
to  the  well,  when  I  saw  in  the  dust  of  the  path  the  tracks  of 
an  uncommonly  large  'Coon,  made  some  time  during  the 
past  night.  He  had  followed  the  path  down  to  the  well  and 
I)ast  it,  toward  a  large  swamp,  of  some  five  acres,  that  lay 
ten  or  fifteen  rods  beyond,  and  extended  into  the  big  woods. 
After  returning  with  the  water,  I  told  my  wife  that  I  had 
got  on  the  track  of  her  turkey-thief,  and  that  while  she  was 
getting  breakfast,  I  would  get  out  a  writ  and  have  him 
arrested. 

I  took  my  rifle,  got  my  ax,  whistled  up  old  "Boag," 
and  i)ointed  out  the  track  to  him.  He  sniffed  around  a 
little  while,  threw  up  his  head,  and  gave  one  of  those  long 
blasts  of  Fox-hound  music  that  always  means  business. 
He  then  struck  off  toward  the  swamp,  from  which  he 
had  already,  in  times  past,  started  many  a  Raccoon,  and 


'COOX-HUXTIXG   IN    SOUTHERN   ILLINOIS. 


519 


run  it  to  its  death.  After  a  few  moments  of  slow  trailing 
among  the  red  willows  and  small  swamp  ash-briish,  he  led 
off  into  the  old  woods,  making  things  fairly  jingle  in  his 
course. 

After  trailing  some  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  I  heard 
him  change  his  tune  into  baying.  Knowing  he  had  treed, 
I  hastened  on,  and 
found  him  baying 
at  the  root  of  a 
tall,  red  elm-tree, 
up  which  the  '  Coon 
had  gone  and  en- 
tered a  hole  formed 
by  the  top  being 
broken  off.  I  could 
not  cut  this  tree 
without  felling  it 
across  a  wire  fence, 
over  which  it 
leaned.  Like  the 
old  man  who  found 
the  rude  boy  steal- 
ing his  apples,  1 
said,  ''  If  I  can' t  get 
you,  old  sinner,  by 
felling  the  tree,  I'll 
just  try  a  plan  on 
you,  some  time  dur- 
ing tlie  day,  that  no 
doubt    will   elevate  „, 

Blown  Out. 

you     out    of    your 

coz}^  den.''  So  I  returned  to  the  house,  ate  my  breakfast, 
and  went  about  my  work  until  the  afternoon,  when  1  got 
an  old  half -pint  flask,  filled  it  with  gunpowder,  took  about 
one  foot  of  tape  fuse,  put  one  end  into  the  bottle  and  fast- 
ened it  tight.  I  then  got  some  matches,  and  a  strip  of  old 
cotton  rags  to  tie  to  the  other  end  of  the  fuse,  so  as  to 
make  a  slow  match,  thus  giving  me  time  after  lighting  it 


520  BIG  (tAMK  of  noutii  axekica. 

to  descend  from  the  tree.  I  took  my  ritle,  called  old 
"BoagV  also  a  full-grown  young  pointer  that  was  as 
plucky  as  a  Wildcat  in  a  tussle  with  a  '  Coon,  and  put  out 
to  try  what  virtue  there  was  in  gunpowder.  Arriving  at 
the  tree,  I  got  things  in  readiness.  A  good  many  small 
branches  grew  from  the  trunk  near  the  ground,  and  were 
distributed  from  thence  to  the  to]),  making  the  tree  easy  to 
climb.  I  climbed  up  the  tree  to  a  height  of  about  lifty  feet, 
and  within  ten  feet  of  the  toi),  wliere  I  came  to  a  hole  that 
woodpeckers  had  dug  out  and  that  reached  into  tlie  hollow. 
Through  this  hole  I  could  see  the  old  cuss  coiled  up  just  a 
little  below,  inside.  The  hole  was  hardly  large  enough  to 
admit  the  bottle  of  powder,  so  I  took  my  pocket-knife  and 
enlarged  it  so  that  I  could  pass  the  bottle  in.  This  the  old 
'Coon  didn't  like  at  all,  and  resented  the  intrusion  by  sav 
age  growls.  He  made  several  attempts  to  snap  my  lingers 
while  I  was  at  work. 

"  But  never  mind,  old  boy;  I'll  give  you  something  to 
chew  on  directly.*' 

I  struck  a  match,  set  the  cotton  rags  on  tire,  coiled  the 
fuse  around  tne  flask,  dumped  the  infernal  machine  in 
on  toj)  of  the  'Coon,  and  then  made  haste  to  get  down  the 
tree;  for  I  wouldn't  have  been  uj)  there  when  the  mine 
exj^loded  for  all  the  '  Coons  in  Old  Town  woods. 

Some  fifteen  minutes  after  reaching  the  ground,  I  heard 
the  fuse  begin  to  sputter,  and  also  heard  the  'Coon  scram- 
l)ling  up  the  hollow — concluding,  no  doubt,  that  a  bumble- 
bee had  gotten  into  his  bed;  when  presently — "  AVhang  1 '' 
went  the  powder,  like  the  roar  of  an  old  army-musket  fired 
into  a  large  barrel. 

A  dense  column  of  smoke,  rotten  wood,  and  other  debris 
flew  from  the  top  of  the  hollow,  and  in  the  midst  of  it,  out 
po})})ed  the  old  plantigrade,  with  a  tremendous  leap  clear 
from  the  tree,  coming  down  and  striking  the  ground  like  a 
bag  full  of  wind,  but  apparently  none  the  worse  from  the 
effects  of  the  powder,  save  that  the  wool  on  his  rump  was 
somewhat  scorched.  The  Pointer  bounced  him  as  soon  as 
he  struck  the  ground.     The  'Coon  was  as  large-framed  as 


'COOX-HUNTIIS^U   IX   SOUTHERN    ILLINOIS. 


521 


any  I  have  ever  seen,  and  gave  both  dogs  a  lively  fight  for 
several  minutes  before  he  was  overcome.  They  finally  laid 
him  out,  however;  and  when  I  took  him  to  the  house,  my 
wife  said  she  knew,  from  his  full  stomach  and  his  sneaking 
look,  that  he  was  outside  of  her  pet  turkey. 


FOX-HUNTING  IN  VIRGINIA. 


By  Dr.  M.  G.  Ellzey. 


^HERE  are,  in  America,  two  modes  of  hunting  the 
Fox;  one  with  hounds  and  horse,  the  other  with 
M  Vy  hound  and  a  gun,  after  the  manner  of  driving  Deer. 
^*  With  tlie  hitter  of  these  methods,  the  writer  has 
no  acquaintance.  It  prevails  at  the  North,  in  country 
impracticable  for  the  chase  as  practiced  at  the  South,  and 
is  said  by  those  devoted  to  it  to  be  very  exciting  and  enjoy- 
able sport.  They  desire  a  slow  hound,  which  is  a  good 
trailer,  that  they  may  stand  at  a  likely  jjlace,  along  the  run, 
and  shoot  the  Fox  as  he  ambles  along  in  front  of  the 
hound.  The  sale  of  the  pelt  is  the  ultimate  object,  the 
apparent  ra'ison  cV etre  of  the  sport.  Leaving  the  descrip- 
tion of  this  method  to  those  who  are  familiar  with  its  enjoy- 
ments, I  proceed  to  attempt  a  description  of  the  Fox-chase 
as  I  have  known  and  enjoyed  it  in  Old  Virginia,  where  a 
pack  of  hounds  is  used  to  kill  the  Fox,  or  run  him  to  earth. 
The  chase  here  is  similar  to  the  English  hunt  in  its  main 
features,  though  differing  in  details,  so  far  as  it  is  ren- 
dered necessary  by  the  nature  of  the  country,  the  habits  of 
the  people,  and  especially  by  the  differences  between  their 
Foxes  and  ours.  I  am  persuaded  that  the  American  Red 
Fox,  as  found  in  the  States  of  Maryland,  Virginia,  West 
Virginia,  North  Carolina,  and  Tennessee,  is  an  animal  far 
superior  to  the  English  Fox,  in  speed,  endurance,  cunning, 
and  resource,  when  in  front  of  a  dangerous  pack.  He 
laughs  an  inferior  pack  to  scorn. 

I  will  preface  the  proposed  account  of  the  sport  by  a 
brief  sketch  of  the  Fox.  We  have  about  half  a  dozen  sorts 
of  this  animal,  including  the  varieties  of  the  far  North. 

Authors  divide  them  up  for  classification  and  nomenclature 

( rm ) 


624  BIO   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

as  Sam  Weller  gave  the  orthography  of  his  name,  "  accord- 
ing to  the  taste  and  fancy  of  the  speller."  "  For  my  part," 
observes  Mr.  AVeller,  "  I  spells  it  with  a  we.'' 

The  Fox  is  mutually  fertile  with  the  Wolf  and  domestic 
dog,  which  seems  to  be  true  of  all  existing  canine  species; 
whether  the  cross-bred  offspring  presents  the  character  of 
mongrels,  or  of  fertile  hybrids,  has  not  been  determined. 
Not  even,  as  a  rule,  have  naturalists,  all  run  to  morpholog- 
ical views  as  they  are,  clearly  recognized  these  differences; 
for  the  greatest  naturalists  have  confounded  atavic  varia- 
tion with  the  reversion  of  hybrids  to  a  parent  form.  Leav- 
ing this  question  of  sj^ecific  distinctions  as  we  find  it,  the 
sportsman's  distinction  between  our  Foxes  is,  broadly,  into 
red  and  gray.  The  cross -Fox  is  merely  a  Red  Fox  thus 
marked;  the  kit-Fox,  a  dwarfish  individual. 

The  Gray  Fox,  treated  by  some  naturalists  as  being  a 
mere  color  variety,  has  habits  entirely  different  from  the 
Red,  in  almost  all  possible  resj)ects.  So  far  as  my  personal 
observations  inform  me,  the  following  are  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal distinctions  :  First,  as  to  reproduction,  the  Red  Fox 
nearly  always  brings  forth  its  young  in  an  earth  den;  the 
Gray  Fox,  generally  in  a  hollow  log  or  tree,  or,  at  most, 
under  a  rock.  The  last  one  I  found  with  her  young  was 
a  Gray.  The  young,  only  a  few  hours  old,  were  in  the  hol- 
low stump  of  an  old  rotten  tree,  broken  off  about  live  feet 
high.  As  I  came  up,  the  old  one  jumi)ed  out  of  the  top  of 
the  stump  and  ran  off.  I  looked  down  the  hole,  and  saw, 
at  the  bottom,  five  young  ones,  scarcely  dry.  I  have  sel- 
dom seen  a  Gray  with  more  than  five,  and  often  with  only 
four  young.  I  never  found  a  Red  with  less  than  five.  I 
have  seen  one  with  nine,  and  several  with  seven.  I  think 
it  certain,  therefore,  that  the  Reds  are  more  xjrolilic. 

Second,  as  to  hunting  for  prey  and  subsistence :  The 
Reds  are  bolder  in  i)ursuit,  and  hunt  over  a  much  greater 
territory  than  the  Grays.  Whether  the  Grays  ever  climb 
trees  in  pursuit  of  prey,  I  am  uncertain;  but  they  take  to  a 
tree  as  readily  as  a  cat  when  hard  run  by  hounds.  I  think 
it  nearly  certain  that  they  climb  for  persimmons,  grapes, 


FOX-HUNTING   IN   VIHGINIA.  525 

and  berries.     Red  Foxes  never  climb  trees  under  any  cir- 
cumstances; when  hard-run,  they  go  to  earth. 

Gray  Foxes  run  before  hounds  only  a  short  distance, 
doubling  constantly,  and  for  a  short  time,  when  they  eitiier 
hole  in  a  tree  or  climb  one.  I  have  known  the  Red  Fox  to 
run  straight  away  nearly  twenty  miles.  Very  commonly, 
they  run  eight  or  ten  miles  away,  and  then  run  back  in  a  par- 
allel course.  I  have  known  them  to  run  the  four  sides  of  a 
quadrilateral,  nine  or  ten  miles  long  by  about  two  miles 
broad.  It  is  doubtful  whether  a  first-rate  specimen  of  a 
Red  Fox,  taken  at  his  best  in  point  of  condition,  can  either 
be  killed  or  run  to  earth  by  any  pack  of  hounds  living, 
siich  are  his  matchless  speed  and  endurance.  It  is  l)ut  a 
sorry  pack  which  fails  to  kill  or  tree  a  Gray  Fox  in  an 
hour's  run. 

The  young  of  the  Gray  Fox  closely  resemble  small, 
blackish  puppies;  those  of  the  Red  Fox  are  distinctly  vul- 
pine in  physiognomy  when  only  a  few  hours  old. 

The  above  are  striking  varietal  distinctions;  character- 
istics of  less  significance  are  often  given  much  higher 
value  by  capable  naturalists.  Yet,  from  such  information 
as  I  possess,  I  am  of  opinion  that  all  living,  and  most  likely 
all  extinct  Ccuiidce^  constitute  a  single  physiological  grouj), 
mutually  fertile,  and  their  cross-bred  offspring  fertile  inter 
se.  This  group  is  at  present  broken  up  into  many  good 
and  distinct  morphological  species.  I  think  the  above  facts 
clearly  show  that  the  Red  Fox  differs  from  the  Gray  in 
many  important  particulars,  and  that  they  are  in  error  who 
seem  to  regard  the  two  as  mere  color  varieties — the  dis- 
tinctive marks  being  graded  away  and  disappearing  when 
large  series  of  individuals  are  compared.  Any  Fox-hunter, 
not  a  greenhorn,  can  tell  whether  it  be  a  Red  or  a  Gray 
Fox  in  front  of  his  pack  on  the  darkest  night,  as  readily 
as  if  the  animal  were  in  plain  view;  and  yet  the  color  varia- 
tion of  red  and  gray  may  bring  the  two  sorts  nearly 
together  in  extreme  specimens  in  a  series.  I  think  that,  in 
this  manner,  a  comparison  of  series  of  kins  may  lead  the 
best  naturalist  to    erroneous    conclusions.     In  this   case, 


626  BKr   (JAMK    OF    XOKTII    AMERICA. 

we  may  safely  conclude  that  some  Red  Foxes  are  colored 
much  like  Gray  Foxes,  and  that  some  Gray  Foxes  are  col- 
ored mucli  like  Red  Foxes;  but  if  we  go  further,  and  con- 
clude that  in  all  other  respects  the  two  sorts  are  one  sort, 
we  fall  headlong  into  an  error  as  groundless  as  absurd — an 
error  which  a  pack  of  hounds  will  soon  demonstrate,  and  at 
which  anyone  in  the  least  degree  experienced  as  a  Fox- 
hunter  will  laugh. 

In  this  place,  it  is  proposed  to  offer  a  few  thoughts  and 
suggestions  as  to  the  true  position  of  Fox-hunting  among 
the  manly  and  athletic  sports  of  the  field.  The  proposition 
is  boldly  advanced  that  no  other  riding-school  in  the  world 
can  compare  with  the  hunting-field  in  the  production  of 
the  highest  type  of  horseback-riding — bringing  into  full 
IDlay,  as  it  does,  all  the  nerve,  strength,  skill,  and  judgment 
of  the  rider.  Often,  in  a  moment,  some  great  difficulty 
presents  itself,  immediately  in  front  of  him,  to  surmount 
which  requires  a  great  feat  of  horsemanship.  It  must  be 
surmounted,  or  he  will  simply  be  left.  Is  it  a  thing  simply 
not  to  be  gotten  over?  Then,  being  in  nowise  a  fool,  the 
great  horseman  will  draw  rein,  and  see  how  best  to  get 
around  it,  even  though  that  implies  not  even  being  within 
hearing  at  the  kill.  Is  it  a  vigorous  difiicult}^  surmount- 
able by  good  horsemanship,  or  only  by  great  horsemanship? 
Then  the  bold  horseman  summons  all  his  own  faculties, 
rouses  all  the  resources  of  his  steed,  and  goes  over  it  in 
grand  style,  as  if  he  had  never  recognized  its  j^resence. 
Courage,  good  sense,  decision,  presence  of  mind — these  are 
the  qualities  brought  out  by  this  grand  sport.  Such 
qualities  must  be  possessed  by  the  horse  no  less  than  by 
liis  rider;  otherwise  the  greatest  horseman  will  be  paralyzed 
in  the  presence  of  such  a  difficulty,  if  mounted  on  a  duffer, 
or  a  lunk-headed  fool  and  coward  of  a  horse. 

Now,  a  second  proposition  is  boldly  advanced.  The  first 
place,  therefore,  among  all  manly  sports  of  the  field,  must 
be  awarded  to  riding  to  hounds.  We  advance  immediately 
to  a  third  and  final  proposition,  viz. :  The  manliest  of  manly 
sports    should    be  the   recognized   national    sport  of    the 


FOX-IIUXTIXO   IX   VIRGINIA.  627 

greatest,  the  most  enlightened,  and  the  most  progressive 
nation  of  the  modern  world,  to  wit,  the  United  States  of 
America.  No  argument  need  be  advanced  in  support  of 
such  a  proposition;  the  truth  of  it  appears  to  be  self-evi- 
dent upon  the  mere  statement  of  the  case. 

I  take  it  no  well-informed  person  will  question  the 
national  value  and  importance  of  the  preservation,  the 
extension,  and  the  development  of  superior  horsemanship 
as  a  national  characteristic  of  our  people.  This  will  carry 
with  it  the  preservation,  the  development,  the  improvement 
of  that  fountain-source  of  all  excellence  and  greatness  in 
horse-flesh,  that  is  to  say,  the  English  race-horse.  If  we 
are  to  have  Fox-hunting  as  our  national  si)ort,  we  must 
have  an  American-bred  hunting-horse.  N'o  horse  can  be 
bred  lit  to  ride  to  hounds  without  large  recourse  to  the 
blood  of  the  race-horse.     No  horseman  will  deny  that. 

It  has  been  said  by  one  of  the  greatest  of  English  writ- 
ers on  the  horse,  that  the  very  best  hunters  in  England 
were  very  nearly,  though  not  quite,  thorough -bred.  This 
is  equally  true  of  the  greatest  of  American  trotters.  The 
two-minute  trotter  will  be  common  enough  after  awhile, 
and  will  be  nearly,  but  not  quite,  thorough-bred.  It  will 
be,  practically,  the  race-horse  slightl\^  modified  in  breeding, 
handled,  trained,  and  selected  for  a  different  way  of  going. 
This  statement  is  liable  to  paralyze  certain  people  with 
astonishment,  not  unmingled  with  scorn.  Nevertheless, 
what  is  writ  is  writ. 

The  hunting-horse  fit  for  the  American  Fox-chase  will 
have  to  be  nearly,  though  not  quite,  thorough-bred,  but 
not  a  trotting-horse.  Rather  a  running  and  jumping  horse, 
bred,  selected  (for  temj^er,  especially),  handled,  and  trained 
for  the  hunting-field — not  a  race-horse,  bred,  selected, 
trained,  and  handled  for  the  turf.  Doubtless  a  skilled 
horseman,  versed  in  the  science  of  heredity,  and  himself  a 
practiced  rider  to  hounds,  may  select  as  the  foundation  of 
a  breeding-stud  strictly  thorough-bred  horses,  and  produce 
from  them  unequaled  hunters.  We  are  not  to  believe  there 
is  anything  lacking  to  the  blood  of  the  thorough -bred 


528  BIG  GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

disabling  it,  when  pure,  from  producing  hunters  of  the 
very  Mghest  attainable  excellence. 

If  such  horses  as  Sir  Archy  and  his  great  son,  Timoleon, 
or  Black  Maria,  had  been  trained  for  the  hunting-held,  they 
could  have  carried  a  rider  six  feet  two  inches,  weighing  two 
hundred  and  tw^enty-five  pounds,  a  distance  in  advance  of 
any  field  of  hunting-bred  horses  ever  mounted.  Or,  take 
such  an  animal  as  American  Eclipse,  or  Revenue,  or  Planet, 
for  riders,  say  from  five  feet  ten  inches  to  six  feet,  and  from 
one  hundred  and  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds; 
or,  fancy  old  Ariel,  the  fairy  queen  of  the  running-turf, 
carrying  a  high-spirited  lady  rider.  We  may  fancy  a  high- 
bred maiden,  in  the  first  bloom  of  her  beauty,  riding  through 
a  dashing  chase  at  the  head  of  a  gallant  field  of  hunters. 
Cold  runs  the  blood  in  his  veins  whose  whole  being  does 
not  dilate  with  the  thought.  I  admit  that  my  own  heart 
bounds  with  the  conception. 

I  confess  that  I  have,  for  some  years,  felt  that  there  must 
be  some  sustaining  demand  to  back  uj)  the  breed  of  race- 
horses, outside  of  the  current  demand  for  fast  mile-horses 
for  the  gambling  needs  of  the  racing-turf.  Are  the  great 
old  four-milers,  along  with  the  great  race  of  men  who  pro- 
duced them,  gone  without  return  ?  I  have  an  opinion  that 
a  horse  may  be  produced,  phenomenally  fast  for  a  mile 
and  phenomenally  unfit  for  ever}"  useful  common  purpose, 
whether  he  be  trotted  or  run.  If  the  breed  of  race-horses 
deteriorates,  everything  lower  in  the  scale  of  horse-flesh  will 
correspondingly  go  down.  Does  anyone  believe  that  any 
fountain  of  excellence  can  be  led  higher  and  maintained  at 
a  level  above  its  source  ?     Believe  it  not ! 

If  Fox-hunting  be  establislied  as  our  national  sport, 
there  will  arise  a  demand  for  liunting-horses,  for  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  whicli  can  not  at  first  l)e  met.  It  will  of  course 
ultimately  be  met.  No  demand  can  be  made  upon  the  cre- 
ative genius  of  the  American  peoi)]e  which  can  not  be  met 
in  due  time.  In  the  earlier  stages  of  that  demand,  the 
breeders  who  have  the  knowledge,  the  skill,  and  the  means 
combined  to  produce  first-class  hunters,  for  ladies  and  gen- 


FOX-HUNTINU   IN   VIUGINIA.  529 

tlemen,  will  be  able  to  sell  tliem  for  "  big  money."  To  go 
further  with  the  technical  description  of  the  hunting-hoise, 
in  this  place,  would  lead  out  of  bounds.  We  must  turn 
our  attention  to  the  pack,  and  then  to  the  hunt. 

Less  than  three  couples  of  hounds  can  scarcely  be  called  a 
pack.  Some  persons  fancy  odd  numbers,  and  would  i:)refer 
a  pack  of  thirteen  hounds  to  one  of  fourteen  or  of  twelve. 
More  than  thirteen  hounds  are,  in  my  judgment,  too  many 
to  run  well  together,  or  to  be  kept  well  in  hand.  I  have 
seen  thirty  couples  in  a  chase,  but  not  more  than  nine  of 
the  best  hounds  did  the  real  running.  A  gentleman  of 
moderate  means  will  find  that  six  or  seven  hounds,  well 
trained  and  kept,  will  afford  better  sport  than  will  a  greater 
number  than  can  be  well  used. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  and  exciting  chases  I  remem- 
ber ever  to  have  witnessed,  was  made  by  a  couple  of  black- 
and-tan  spayed  bitches.  In  a  run  of  about  forty  minutes, 
they  killed  a  fine  Red  Fox,  which  for  three  miles  was  not 
over  five  to  fifteen  feet  in  front  of  them;  nor  was  there  for 
that  distance,  at  any  time,  three  lengths  between  the  bitches. 
This  pair — little  sisters  -  owned  by  my  father,  were  certainly 
the  fastest  pair  of  hounds  he  ever  owned  in  forty  years' 
devotion  to  hounds  and  to  Fox-hunting.  Running  with 
the  pack,  they  always  led,  frequently  running  neck-and- 
neck  thirty  or  forty  yards  in  advance  of  the  pack.  They 
were  named  Juno  and  Vanity,  and  each  of  them  was 
known,  in  several  instances,  to  start,  run,  and  kill  a  fine 
Red  Fox  alone. 

It  maybe  said,  then,  that  a  single  hound  may  catch  a 
Fox;  a  pair  of  hounds,  if  of  the  very  ])est  breeding  and 
training,  ma}'  afford  good  sport;  that  six  or  seven  make  a 
nice  pack;  and  that  the  best  number  is  thirteen.  These, 
three  neighboring  gentlemen  may  own  and  kee})  between 
them,  when  they  will  do  quite  as  well,  or  even  better,  than 
when  all  kept  in  one  kennel.  Spayed  bitches  are  to  be 
highly  recommended,  if  spayed  when  not  more  than  two 
to  six  weeks  old,  which  is  the  best  time,  for  they  do  not 
exhibit  the  tendency  to  become  fat  and  lazy  which  results 

34 


5:j(>  IMC,  (;amk  oil   xoinii  amkijica. 

from  the  operation  at  an  age  subsequent  to  sexual  develop- 
ment. They  are  as  fast'  as  the  best  dogs;  their  scenting 
powers  are  equal  to  any;  their  sagacity  in  managing  the 
working  of  a  Fox  in  all  its  details  can  not  be  (surpassed; 
they  are  easier  to  break  and  train;  they  are  quiet  about 
home,  and  seldom  go  off,  on  their  own  hook,  to  observe  the 
country  and  make  mental  notes  of  the  grazing-fields  of  a 
neighbor's  sheep.  It  is  certain  they  are  far  less  i)rone  to 
mischief  than  dogs.  In  the  matter  of  tongue,  they  gener- 
ally incline  to  treble,  and  their  notes  are  often  of  a  flute- 
like"  sweetness.'  In  the  matter  of  endurance,  they  are  not 
surpassed.  These  observations  are  the  results  of  personal 
knowledge  based  on  a  wide  experience. 

The  color  of  hounds  is  a  matter  of  taste.  I  have  known 
great  Fox-dogs  of  almost  every  variety  of  color.  The  best 
I  ever  knew  were  black-and-tans;  the  handsomest  and 
deepest-mouthed  were  hounds  of  the  old  blue-mottled  breed 
from  the  famous  Crawford  pack  of  jSIaryland.  I  should 
say  color  is  a  matter  of  taste,  music  a  matter  of  science  in 
selection,  speed  a  tldng  to  be  tested,  and  it,  as  well  as 
endurance,  belongs  to  particular  strains.  If  you  want  to 
breed  a  litter  of  Red  Fox  hounds,  you  w^ll  have  to  breed 
the  fastest  bitch  to  be  had  to  the  fastest  dog.  You  can  do 
it  successfully  in  that  w^ay,  and  in  no  other. 

There  are  few  strains  of  hounds,  X)erhai:)s,  now  living, 
which  are  at  all  reliable  to  kill  a  Red  Fox.  I  do  not 
believe  that  "any  dogs  bred,  owned,  trained,  and  run  in  Eng- 
land can  kill  our  Red  Foxes.  It  is  not  by  resort  to 
importations,  therefore,  that  Red  Fox  dogs  are  to  be  had 
here.  They  must  be  bred  from  the  few  American  strains 
which  have  demonstrated  their  ability  to  kill  American 
Red  Foxes.  Tliis  is  no  random,  unsupported  notion.  I 
have  seen  many  imported  dogs  run,  and  never  saw  one 
capable  of  staying  with  our  own  l)est  packs. 

No  doubt  this  declaration  will  bring  loud  jeers  from 
some  people.  A  ery  well,  let  them  jeei";  I  have  no  objection 
to  that  sort  of  thing.  In  this  matter,  I  feel  that  I  know 
what  I  am  talking  about.     In  the  matter  of  size,   English 


FOX-IIUNTING   IN    VIHGIXIA.  631 

hounds  are  too  large  for  the  country  we  hunt.  It  is  beyond 
doubt  true  that  medium-sized  hounds  are  best  for  our  Avork. 
They  shoukl  not  be  above  fifty  pounds  in  weight.  Some 
years  ago,  I  knew  an  imported  pack  which  I  tliink  woukl 
have  averaged  eighty  pounds,  and  they  coukl  not  stay  with 
a  native  pack  of  small  hounds  of  only  moderate  excellence. 

The  kennel  discipline  of  hounds  should  be  simple,  and 
all  the  accommodations  inexpensive.  AVlien  not  in  the 
kennel,  they  ought  to  be  coui)led  together,  in  i^airs,  by  an 
iron  rod  about  a  foot  long,  with  a  ring  in  each  end,  through 
which  passes  a  leather  collar  to  be  buckled  around  the  neck. 
My  father's  kennel  was  simply  a  big,  square-built  log  house, 
w^ith  a  dirt  floor,  on  which  clean  bedding  was  kept.  During 
the  hunting-season,  the  dogs  were  kept  altogether  in  this 
house.  Out  of  season,  they  were  coui)led,  and  went  in  and 
out  at  pleasure.  They  were  called  to  be  fed  with  the  horn, 
and  always  worked  with  the  same  horn  for  everything  they 
were  required  to  do.  They  were  fed,  inexpensively,  on 
coarse  corn-meal,  with  the  husks  left  in,  and  baked  in  large 
pones.  They  also  had  scraps  from  the  tables,  and  sour 
milk,  buttermilk,  and  bonny-clabber  from  the  dairy.  A 
case  of  disease  or  sickness  among  them  is  a  thing  which, 
during  thirty  years,  I  can  scarcely  remember. 

Probably  an  average  of  twenty  were  kept;  sometimes  the 
number  ran  uj)  to  thirty;  sometimes  there  were  not  more 
than  thirteen  in  the  kennel.  The  entire  success  of  these 
simple  kennel  arrangements,  during  so  many  years,  seems 
to  entitle  such  a  method  to  great  confidence.  My  father, 
who  was  doubtless  the  most  enthusiastic  and  successful 
Fox-hunter  of  his  time,  in  Virginia;  pursued,  also,  in  break- 
ing his  young  hounds,  a  method  perfectly  sim^^le.  When- 
ever he  went  out  on  horseback,  which  was  well-nigh 
every  day  of  his  life,  up  to  within  a  week  of  his  death,  he 
took  the  young  hounds  with,  him,  and  so  accustomed  them 
to  obedience  and  a  love  of  companionship)  with  himself; 
and  wdien  they  were  to  be  taught  to  run  the  Red  Fox,  he 
took  them  out  with  a  few  of  the  best  Fox-hounds  he  had, 
and  let  them  run.     They  soon  learned  all  there  is  for  a 


632  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

liouiid  to  know;  and,  be  it  known  to  the  inexperienced, 
there  are  few  more  sagacious  animals  than  the  Fox-hound. 
I  myself  doubt  whether  any  other  dog,  except  the  Collie, 
has  equal  capacity  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  his  work  as 
the  Fox-hound,  if  not  spoiled  by  ignorant  or  incomi^etent 
handlers. 

There  is  left  for  description  the  hunt  itself.  The  crowd 
which  goes  out  with  the  hounds  in  a  genuine  English  hunt 
is  apt  to  be  distasteful  to  our  best  Fox-hunters.  Their  idea 
of  genuine  sj)ort  is,  for  half  a  dozen  real  friends  to  meet 
quietly,  and  have  the  chase  to  themselves.  If,  however,  a 
neighbor  or  two  Joins  in  uninvited,  they  are  not  unwelcome; 
and  if  the  chase  goes  through  a  farm,  and  all  hands  leave 
work  and  run  for  a  hill- top,  mount  the  fence,  get  up  a  tree, 
or  scramble  to  the  top  of  the  straw-rick,  to  see  as  much  of 
the  chase  as  may  be,  the  hunters  take  real  pleasure  in 
adding  a  pleasant  episode  to  the  sameness  of  the  simjjle 
lives  of  country  work-people.  What  is  meant  is,  that  the 
bustle  and  display  of  an  English  meet  is  not  in  accordance 
with  the  tastes  of  our  country  gentlemen;  not  that  they  are 
at  all  selfish  or  exclusive  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  sport. 
In  the  case  of  wealthy  clubs  of  city  people,  a  different  feel- 
ing prevails.  Generally  they  are  more  after  display  than 
sport.  An  anise-bag,  or  a  dead  Fox,  or  some  other  drag, 
suits  them  equally  as  well  as,  or  even  better  than  a  genuine 
hunt. 

Enough  has  already  been  said  of  the  hunting-hotse;  we 
may,  however,  re-affirm  that  there  neither  is,  nor  can  be, 
any  real  sj)ort  in  a  Fox-hunt  for  any  person  poorly 
mounted.  A  horse  not  sufficiently  well-bred  can  not  carry 
a  rider  through  a  severe  chase  with  either  comfort  or  safety. 
It  is  a  genuine  misery  to  ride  a  jaded  horse;  and,  moreover, 
unless  ridden  with  great  caution,  the  rider's  neck  is  not 
safe;  and  consciousness  of  the  unfit  condition  of  the  horse 
is  fatal  tt)  that  enthusiasm  and  ela/i  which  are  the  life  and 
soul  of  everything  deserving  the  name  of  sport.  Therefore, 
the  first  tiling  essential  to  the  enjoyment  of  Fox-hunting  is 
a  well-bred,  sound,  safe  horse.     The  best  horses  are  about 


FOX-IIUXTIX(t   IX    VIRGIXIA.  633 

fifteen  and  one-half  hands  high,  and  weigh  al)Out  eleven 
hundred  pounds.  It  is  much  more  difficult  to  find  a  large 
horse,  sixteen  liands  or  upward,  of  that  high  form  which  is 
essential  to  carrying  a  rider,  at  speed,  safely  ov^er  difficult 
country. 

A  man  who  has  sense  enough  to  value  his  own  neck, 
must  ignore  the  fashionable  taste  in  choosing  a  horse  to 
hunt  on;  and  if  not  himself  a  skilled  judge  of  the  points  of 
a  horse,  he  should  take  the  advice  of  a  man  wlio  is,  and 
upon  whose  impartial  friendship  he  can  rel3\  Tliere  are 
ten  good  medium-sized  horses  to  one  good  large  horse; 
hence  it  is  far  easier  to  mount  a  man  of  medium  size  than  one 
above  medium  height  and  weight.  A  small  man  is  unsuita- 
bly mounted  on  a  large  horse;  a  large  man,  more  unsuitably 
mounted  on  a  small  horse. 

Our  best  hunters  do  not  jump  their  horses  over  every- 
thing they  can  find  to  i^ut  them  at;  often  they  hunt  a  great 
l^art  of  a  season,  or  a  whole  season,  without  taking  a  single 
considerable  leap.  It  is  not  practicable  to  follow  the  hounds 
as  seems  to  be  done  in  England ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  our 
Foxes,  in  almost  every  case,  take  such  a  course  that  no 
horse  can  possibly  go  over  it.  They  take  to  the  bluff,  along 
water-courses,  and  through  pine-thickets,  that  no  man  can 
ride  a  horse  over  or  through  at  speed.  The  hunter  must, 
in  such  a  case,  i)erforce  make  a  detour  and  strike  for  the 
open  ground,  where  he  may  again  join  the  chase. 

?^o  sensible  man  goes  Fox-hunting  for  the  mere  sake  of 
leaping  his  horse  over  fences  and  ravines;  he  goes  over  such 
j)laces  when  the  exigencies  of  the  chase  render  it  necessary. 
He  does  not  leap  his  horse  over  a  stone  wall  if  there  is  an 
open  gate  three  rods  out  of  his  line,  unless  he  is  riding  for 
the  brush,  close  to  the  hounds  in  the  act  of  running  into 
the  Fox.  A  good  hunter  rides  fearlessly  when  he  lias  a 
rational  object  in  view,  and  always  judiciously,  reserving 
his  own  powers  and  those  of  his  horse  to  be  put  to  the  test 
when  necessary.  He  takes  no  stock  in  the  absurd  cavort- 
ings  of  the  riding  academy.  It  is  also  true  that  our  Red 
Foxes  run  farther  and  faster  than  an}^  horse  whatever  can 


534  BIG   GAME  OF   NuHTII   AMERICA. 

follow  them,  over  their  own  course.  The  best  horses,  in 
the  best  condition,  carrying  light  weight,  over  our  finest 
race-tracks,  can  scarcely  maintain  their  rate  through  four 
miles.  A  Red  Fox,  in  front  of  a  dangerous  pack,  scarcely 
gets  down  to  business  in  less  than  three  times  that  distance. 
I  have  seen  a  chase  in  which  the  Fox's  course  was  twenty 
miles,  the  running  being  desperate  from  start  to  finish. 
I  was  never  out  of  hearing,  and  much  of  the  time  in  full 
view  of  the  chase;  but  I  did  not  ride  more  than  two- thirds 
as  far  as  the  pack  ran. 

At  this  point,  I  can  not  forbear  to  turn  aside  to  comment 
briefly  on  the  remarks  upon  the  speed  and  endurance  of 
our  Red  Foxes,  by  a  distinguished  scholar.  In  a  costly  and 
pretentious  work  on  natural  history,  he  says:  "It  runs  with 
great  swiftness  for  about  a  hundred  yards,  but  is  easily  over- 
taken by  a  Wolf,  or  a  mounted  man.''  Even  great  authors 
must  slip  sometimes,  but  ijrobably  a  more  complete  display 
of  ignorance  was  never  made  by  a  competent  writer  than  in 
the  above  brief  sentence.  I  doubt  if  any  creature  lacking 
wings  is  fully  equal  to  the  American  Red  Fox  in  sj^eed 
and  endurance  combined.  I  have  seen  him,  when  at  his 
best,  outfoot  and  run  away  from  as  fine  a  pack  of  hounds 
as  ever  was  seen,  and  also  leave  out  of  hearing  a  whole  field 
of  siDortsmen,  not  one  of  whom  was  meanly  mounted.  I 
know  blit  little,  practically,  of  Wolves,  but  I  do  know  some- 
thing of  mounted  men,  and  I  doubt  whether  the  finest  rider 
in  the  world,  mounted  on  the  finest  horse  in  the  world,  can 
easily  overtake  an  American  Red  Fox,  or  overtake  him  at 
all,  or  in  a  race  of  twenty  miles  keex)  within  four  miles  of 
him.  I  have  seen  the  thing  tried  many  and  many  a  time,  by 
many  distinguished  riders  finely  mounted;  I  have  tried  it 
myself  often — but  never  yet  saw  a  race  between  a  mounted 
man  and  a  Red  Fox  in  which  the  Fox  was  easily  outrun. 

The  best  season  for  hunting  the  Fox  is,  with  us,  in  the 
months  of  October,  November,  and  December,  or  as  late  in 
winter  as  the  weather  may  be  open  and  the  ground  not 
frozen.  Some  persons  hunt  in  the  spring  months,  until  the 
vegetation  is  too  far  advanced  to  permit  either  hearing, 


FOx-inT\TiX(;  IN   viiKiiNiA.  535* 

seeing,  or  riding  well,  and  with  pleasure  and  safety.  Some 
have  a  run  any  day  in  the  year  they  may  liave  a  mind  to  do 
it.  Fox-hunting  is  for  pleasure,  for  health,  and  for  the 
acquirement  of  skill  on  horseback,  and  it  ought  not  to  be 
pursued  under  circumstances  dangerous  to  the  health  of 
the  hunter,  nor  cruel  to  his  horse  or  liound;  as  when  the 
weather  is  severe  and  the  ground  icy,  or  soft  and  miry.  The 
best  weather  is  a  temperature  of  about  60"  Fahrenheit,  and 
a  relative  humidity  of  about  7o°,  clear,  and  without  wind 
beyond  a  moderate  breeze.  This  will  be  an  atmosphere 
sufficiently  moist  for  good  scent  and  not  too  cool  for  the 
rajDid  movements  of  the  chase,  which  greatly  increases  evap- 
oration, both  from  the  pulmonai'y  and  cutaneous  surfaces, 
which  of  course  implies  rapid  loss  of  animal  heat;  and  a 
great  strain  is  thereby  thrown  upon  both  the  great  organs 
of  circulation  and  respiration,  in  man  and  beast. 

Therefore  it  is  that  dry,  cool  wind  makes  the  very  worst 
hunting- weather,  and  therefore  it  is  that  liorses  have  com- 
monly made  their  greatest  rec^ords  on  the  turf  on  very  liot 
days.  Observations  made  by  the  writer  on  temperature 
and  relative  humidity,  in  connection  with  the  air-supply  of 
the  Hall  of  Eejiresentatives  at  Washington,  led  him  to  the 
conclusion  that  a  temperature  of  CO'"  Fahrenheit,  and  a 
relative  humidity  of  75°,  gives  us  our  most  delightful  vernal 
and  autumnal  weather,  and  those  conditions  are  recom- 
mended as  constituting  nearly  tlie  optrinum  of  hunting- 
weather.  In  such  weather.  Foxes  lie  much  in  the  open 
fields,  or  on  the  border  of  some  glade  or  open  woodland. 
We  often  ousted  them  from  such  spots,  before  Setters  and 
Pointers,  when  out  shooting  on  such  autumn  days. 

In  describing  the  iiuxlu^  opei'd iidi  of  the  hunt,  I  will 
detail  our  own  usual  practice;  not  that  it  is  the  best  prac- 
tice, but  it  is  the  result  of  long  experience,  and  has  l)een 
found  satisfactory  in  the  region  where  we  were  accustomed 
to  hunt.  It  is  l)y  no  means  necessary  to  get  up  shortly  after 
midnight,  and  hastily  swallow  a  cold,  uncomfortable  break- 
fast; to  be  in  the  saddle  and  unkennel  the  hounds  while  it  is 
yet  dark.     It  is  better  to  eat  a  comfortable  early  breakfast, 


536  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

have  tlie  hounds  fed  lightly  on  stale  bread,  and  to  be  in  the 
saddle  a  little  before  sunrise. .  The  horses  should  have,  the 
night  before,  a  good  feed  of  oats  and  only  a  little  hay,  and 
in  the  morning,  an  hour  before  the  start,  a  moderate  feed  of 
oats.  When  brought  out,  they  should  have  a  dozen  or  so 
swallows  of  water. 

The  hounds  should  be  kept  well  in  to  heel  until  the 
jilace  for  making  the  cast  off  i«  reached.  They  should  be 
handled,  as  far  as  possible,  bj^  one  person,  and  one  person 
should  have  general  direction  of  the  hunt.  When  the 
start  is  made,  the  Fox  lays  out  the  course,  and,  in  racing 
parlance,  cuts  out  the  running.  The  hunt  will,  in  a  good 
degree,  take  shape  at  Its  own  wild  will.  Often  a  crisis  will 
arrive  when  everything  is  at  sea,  every  man  is  for  himself, 
and  the  cry  is,  "Devil  take  the  hindmost,''  whether  that 
hindmost  l)e  Fox,  hound,  horse,  or  huntsman.  Neverthe- 
less, an  experienced  Fox-hunter  never  quite  loses  his  head, 
and  acts  always  with  care  arid  judgment. 

I  will  now  attempt  a  description  of  one  of  the  greatest 
races  in  which  I  can  remember  to  have  been  a  participant, 
A  few  brief  notes  as  to  the  scene  of  the  hunt  will  facilitate 
an  understanding  of  the  narrative.  The  residence  of  my 
father,  in  the  old  commonwealth  of  Virginia,  was  situated 
centrally  in  the  grand  old  county  of  Loudoun,  about  two 
miles  from  Goose  Creek,  the  beautiful  Indian  name  of 
which  was  To-liong-ga-roo-ta,  and  about  the  same  distance 
from  Aldie  Gap,  in  the  Bull  Run  spur  of  the  Blue  Ridge 
jNIountains.  It  was  about  eight  miles  from  our  home  east- 
ward to  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  where  its  waters  are  emp- 
tied into  the  Potomac,  at  the  upper  end  of  Selden's  Island. 
In  tliis  part  of  its  course  the  creek  is  a  bold  and  rapid 
stream,  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  yards  wide.  Its 
banks  in  places  are  long,  level  bottoms;  in  other  places 
rising  into  precipitous  bluffs  and  rugged  cliffs,  covered 
witli  hemlocks  and  dense  ivy-thickets. 

In  the  fields,  thickets,  stiips  of  woodland,  and  glades 
bordeiing  this  creek,  it  was  always  an  easy  matter  to  start 


FOX-HUNTING    IX   VIKiilXIA.  537 

a  Red  Fox.  I  have  never  heard  of  a  Gray  Fox  being  seen 
there,  although  in  tlie  King  country,  seven  or  eight  miles 
to  the  southeast,  Grays  are  numerous. 

In  front  of  us,  to  the  north,  was  the  creek;  west  of  us 
three  miles,  the  mountains.  Eastward  four  or  five  miles, 
running  north  and  south,  was  a  low  line  of  hills  called  the 
Old  Ridge,  covered  with  black-jack  and  broom-sedge;  and 
in  many  j)ai'ts  lay  huge  boulders,  and  more  or  less  extensive 
tracts  of  loose  magnesian  shale,  seamed  and  scarred  all  over 
with  galls,  washes,  and  gulleys.  In  places,  these  hills  were 
densely  covered  with  scrub-pine  and  tangled  masses  of 
green-brier,  hawthorn,  and  grape-vines.  Behind  us,  to  the 
south,  extended  an  open  country,  from  the  foot  of  Bull 
Run  Mountain  eastward,  some  ten  miles,  to  Broad  Run,  a 
considerable  tributary  of  the  Potomac. 

Our  Foxes  usually  ran  a  quadrilateral,  going  up  the 
creek  west  to  Negro  Mountain,  a  low,  brushy  range  of  hills 
extending  from  Bull  Run  Range;  along  Negro  Mountain 
from  two  to  live  miles  southward;  thence  eastward  to  Broad 
Run,  and  thence  northward  along  the  Old  Ridge  to  the 
creek,  and  up  the  creek  to  Negro  Mountain.  My  father's 
estate  extended  northward  to  the  creek,  and  eastward 
down  the  creek  several  miles,  occu2)ying  a  central  position 
in  the  quadrilateral  described,  the  circuit  of  which  was 
about  twent}'  miles  as  the  Foxes  ran  it.  Foxes  started  in 
front  of  us,  almost  invariably  ran  down  the  creek  to  the 
Old  Ridge,  southward  along  the  Old  Ridge  to  Broad  Run, 
up  that  run  and  across  the  open  country  to  Negro  jSIount- 
ain,  northward  along  Negro  Mountain  to  the  creek,  and 
again  down  the  creek. 

In  what  we  called  the  mill-dam  field,  a  splendid  old  Red 
dog-Fox  had  taken  up  his  quarters,  and  my  father,  some- 
times alone,  sometimes  in  company  with  some  friends,  with 
select  hounds  from  their  packs,  had  run  him  around  the 
quadrilateral  divers  times  without  being  alile  to  do  any- 
thing with  him  other  than  to  put  him  in  perfect  training; 
and  it  began  to  be  thought  that  no  pack  could  either  kill 
him  or  run  him  to  earth. 


538  BIG   (iAME   OF   XOUTir   AMERICA. 

My  father  himself  doubted  whether  this  Fox  was  not 
superior  to  any  pack  in  the  world.  However,  he  deter- 
mined to  try  a  final  conclusion  with  him,  and,  with  this 
end  in  view,  took  measures  to  get  nine  of  his  best  hounds 
in  the  highest  attainable  condition.  He  had  in  his  pack, 
at  that  time,  a  strain  of  black-and-tan  hounds  which  he 
had  owned  and  bred  for  thirty  years,  and  which  his  father 
had  long  owned  before  him.  At  this  time,  there  were 
in  the  pack,  besides  the  brood  bitch  and  four  or  five  dogs 
of  that  strain,  the  two  spayed  bitches  already  mentioned, 
named  Vanity  and  Juno,  which  were  undoubtedly  the  best 
pair  of  hounds  which  the  strain,  great  as  it  was,  ever  pro- 
duced. Of  course,  these  great  bitches  were  first  choice  for 
this  race.  They  were  backed  by  two  dogs  of  the  same 
strain,  but  not  full  brothers  in  blood,  called  Leader  and 
Rogue.  The  next  selections  were  blue-mottled  hounds 
from  the  Crawford  strain  of  Maryland;  three  dogs,  Drum- 
mer, Farmer,  and  Trumj),  and  a  spayed  bitch,  Countess.  In 
addition  to  these,  a  lemon-and-white  hound  of  great  excel- 
lence, "ailed  Frowner,  was  })ut  in.  My  father  believed  that 
these  Avere,  in  all  points,  as  good  Fox-hounds  as  were  ever 
seen,  and  he  thought  the  great  sisters,  Juno  and  Vanity, 
the  very  best  he  had  ever  seen  run. 

Our  friends  were  notified  that  all  was  ready  for  the  race 
the  next  day,  and  that  the  meet,  for  those  avIio  did  not 
breakfast  with  us,  would  be  at  tlie  upper  end  of  the  mill- 
dam  field,  within  a  few  minutes  after  sunrise. 

My  father  and  I  saw  personally  to  the  feeding  and  bed- 
ding of  the  hounds,  and  eacli  of  us  to  his  own  horse.  We 
went  early  to  bed,  after  a  light  supper,  and  so  slept  well 
all  night.  '  At  early  dawn  we  were  up,  and  quickly  dressed 
in  hunting-clothes,  and  out  to  attend  to  matters  at  the  ken- 
uels  and  stables;  for  our  experience  had  taught  us  that  such 
details  must  liave  our  personal  attention. 

By  tlie  time  these  matters  were  settled,  some  of  our 
neighbors  arrived,  and  brought  several  additional  couples 
of  hounds.  Breakfast  was  a  simple  affair.  As  soon  as 
dis})atcht'd.  we   mounted    and  rode   to   tlie   meeting-place, 


FOX-IIUXTI\U   IX   VIRGINIA.  539 

arriving  there  three  or  four  iiiinutes  before  the  sun  rose. 
We  found  most  of  those  expected  already  at  the  spot,  and 
the  others  arrived  ahnost  simultaneously  ^vith  our  party. 

After  brief  and  simple  morning  salutations,  and  a  couple 
of  minutes'  chat,  niy  father  announced  all  ready,  and  the 
hounds  were  cast  off.  In  less  than  three  minutes.  Drummer 
challenged,  and  the  wliole  pack  (fifteen  in  all)  closed  in  and 
took  the  trail.  In  about  two  minutes,  and  before  we  had 
advanced  three  hundred  yards  into  the  field,  the  invincible 
old  Red  rose  over  the  rag-weed,  and  toolv  a  deliberate  view 
of  the  forces  advancing  against  him.  •'Tally  hoi "'  rang  out 
in  chorus  from  the  horsemen,  and  the  i»ack  ])urst  into  full 
or}',  as  the  gallant  quarry  bounded  away  on  the  race  for, his 
life,  with  jiot  more  than  one  hundred  yards  start  of  the 
hounds. 

The  Fox  made  direct  for  the  upper  end  of  tlie  cliffs, 
where  a  man  and  horse  could  not  pass  between  the  rocks 
and  the  water,  and  where,  for  half  a  mile  down-stream,  the 
running  would  be  over  rocks  and  through  dense  timl:>er. 
As  the  course  to  reach  this  innnt  was  up-stream,  whether 
the  Fox  would  make  a  slioit  turn,  and  adopt  the  usual  tac- 
tics of  breaking  away  d(nvn-stream.  we  could  not  know. 
If  we  rode  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff's,  and  the  chase  turned 
down-stream,  we  should  gain  nothing;  for  half  a  mile 
below,  a  rocky  ravine,  impassable  by  horses,  made  up  from 
the  creek,  about  three  hundred  yards,  to  a  spring  in  the 
field.  We  therefore  held  our  position  for  a  moment,  to 
await  developments.  The  wily  Fox.  fully  realizing  the 
importance  of  increasing  his  lead  by  taking  advantage  of 
the  rouii'li  uround,  tuiiied  shoi't  down-stream  at  the  head  of 
the  cliff's,  as  was  instantly  detected  by  the  i)racticed  ears  of 
my  father  and  his  friend,  Mr.  Edward  Jenkins,  who  was  as 
great  a  man  at  all  points  afield  as  ever  bestrode  a  horse. 
At  this  point,  the  echoing  music  of  the  pack  was  splendid 
beyond  description,  and  seemed  equally  inspiring  to  horse- 
man and  to  hoi-se.  My  father  gave  the  Avord,  and  we 
bounded  away  at  speed  for  the  spring  at  the  head  of  the 
ravine,  expecting  the  chase  to  continue  its  sweep  around 


540  '  BIO  GAME  OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

the  liorse.shoe  curve  of  the  creek.  If  so,  position  at  the 
spring,  being  on  tlie  chord  of  the  arc  when  we  should 
arrive  at  that  point,  would  give  us  a  view  of  the  race  for 
about  a  mile,  when  we  could  join  in  the  chase  as  it  turned 
into  the  long  stretch  of  bottom-lands  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  mill-dam  field. 

When  we  reached  a  point  within  one  hundred  yards  of 
the  spring,  the  roar  of  the  mill-dam,  mingling  with  the 
thunderous  echoes  of  the  pack  behind  the  cliifs,  was  like 
the  i^eal  of  a  great  organ  along  the  aisles  of  some  vast 
cathedral.  The  splendor  of  the  early  morning  scene  may 
be  imagined,  but  it  can  not  be  adequately  described.  My 
father  reined  in  to  a  full  stop,  and  called  out : 

"Gentlemen,  they  are  coming  up  the  ravine  to  the 
spring.  Hold  in,  or  we  shall  ride  over  the  hounds;"'  and 
immediately  shouted  "Tally-ho !  "  pointing  to  a  spot  near 
the  head  of  the  ravine,  where  Reynard  appeared  for  an 
instant,  and  then  disappeared  in  the  bushes.  It  was  obvi- 
ous he  had  not  increased  his  lead  by  many  3'ards,  as  the 
tremendous  cry  distinctly  showed  the  hounds  were  already 
coming  well  up  the  ravine;  and  my  father's  marvelous  ear 
must  have  detected  the  turn  at  the  very  instant  it  was 
made.  The  Fox  had  now  cleared  the  head  of  the  ravine, 
and  broke  away  across  the  open  field  toward  the  Broad 
Rock,  in  a  southeasterly  course,  toward  the  far  side  of  the 
quadrilateral,  leaving  the  water-course  entirely. 

" Did  you  ever  see  so  bold  a  rascal  <"  said  Mr.  Jenkins. 

"Aye,"  responded  my  father.  "I  do  not  understand 
him,  but  that  is  a  fatal  mistake.  Nothing  can  save  his 
brush  to-day  but  a  decree  of  fate.'' 

The  pack  by  tliis  time  had  cleared  the  ravine:  the  Fox 
had  two  liundred  yaids  start,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  across 
the  old  field  to  reach  cover.  Vanity  leading,  Juno  at  her 
fiank,  the  rest  closed  up;  the  pace  was  so  tremendous  that 
some  of  us  thought  we  should  run  into  him  before  he  struck 
Broad  Rock. 

"Hark!  awayl"  shouted  my  father,  touching  old  Alice 
gently  with  the  sjiur;  and  away  we  went.     The  first  fence 


TALLY-HO  ; 


FOX-HUNTING    IN   VIIUtIMA.  541 

was  three  hundred  yards  away,  a  trilling-  affair,  and  over  it 
Reynard  led  like  a  bird  on  the  wing.  Like  screaming  eagles 
swooping  on  their  prey,  followed  the  fiercel}^  clamorous 
pack.  Pell-mell  the  horsemen  pressed  upon  their  heels; 
and  over  we  went. 

Here  followed  a  run  perhaps  never  surpassed  in  the 
hunting-field.  Gallantly  did  Reynard  maintain  his  lead; 
gallantly  followed  the  flying  pack,  and  gallantly  the  horse- 
men rode.  As  the  last  quarter  of  the  stretch  was  reached, 
Vanity  showed  three  lengths  in  front  of  Juno,  who  just 
maintained  her  place  at  the  head  of  the  pack,  and,  as  it 
were,  by  inches  she  began  to  close  the  gap  between  her- 
self and  Reynard's  brush,  which  was  still  flaunting  defi- 
antly in  the  breeze.  She  had  crawled  up  to  within  forty 
yards  of  him,  with  several  hundred  yet  to  run  before  the 
Broad  Rock  was  gained.  She  was  now  twenty  yards  ahead 
of  the  pack,  Juno  just  clear  of  the  bunch.  The  horsemen 
were  well  closed  up  to  within  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
yards  of  the  pack.  In  nearly  this  position,  this  splendid 
panorama  closed  by  Reynard  leaping  both  fences  of  the 
highway  and  sweeping  directly  across  the  face  of  the  Broad 
Rock,  gaining  cover  at  the  head  of  a  bad  rocky  ravine  lead- 
ing to  the  banks  of  Beaver  Dam  Creek,  about  two  miles 
above  its  mouth,  where  it  falls  into  Goose  Creek. 

Going  over  the  fence,  the  horsemen  gathered  in  the  road 
at  the  Broad  Rock,  and  there  was  a  pause,  while  the  chase 
developed  its  future  course.  My  father  and  his  friend  sat 
side  by  side  on  their  horses,  following  the  i:»ack  by  the 
sonorous  music  of  their  furious  cry,  and  gazing  intently 
into  the  woods  toward  the  run. 

"  They  are  going  up  Beaver  Dam,"  said  Mr.  Jenkins. 

"Aye,"  said  my  father,  turning  old  Alice's  head  down 
the  public  road;  and  remarking,  "We  can  get  in  at  Mount 
Hope,"  he  jogged  off,  so  as  to  keep  nearly  abreast  of  the 
chase  as  it  rushed  roaring  along  the  meanderings  of  the 
rock-bound  stream 

The  object  of  my  horsemanship  was  to  keep  as  near  as  I 
could  to  my  father's  side,  his  friend,  Mr.  Jenkins,  riding 


642  liU't   (JA.MK    OF    NOUTH    AMKRICA. 

always  Avith  liiiii,  l'(>ll<n\vd  by  his  son  William,  nearly 
my  age;  so  that  this  latter  young  gentleman  and  myself 
fell  into  a  natural  companionship.  The  other  gentlemen 
rode  to  suit  themselves,  but  recognized  my  father's  leader- 
ship of  the  hunt,  as  a  matter  of  course.  My  mount  was 
a  beautiful,  thoroiigh-bred,  bay  tilly,  coming  five  years 
old,  Avhich  was  my  saddle-mare  for  many  years.  She  was 
a  delightful  goer  and  jumper,  and  safe  even  for  a  lady.  Old 
Alice  was  a  mare  of  extraordinary  power  and  speed,  seven- 
eighths  bred;  a  daughter  of  Grigsby's  Potomac,  her  dam  a 
daughter  of  that  good  horse  Hyder  Ali.  I  still  own  some 
of  the  descendants  of  that  great  mare.  She  was  killed 
by  lightning,  with  a  splendid  foal  at  her  side,  when  twenty 
years  old —long  after  this  memorable  chase.  Tlie  Jenkinses 
Avere  well  mounted  on  horses  that  had  outlasted  many  and 
many  a  hard  day's  run,  and  the  othei-  gentlemen  of  the 
hunt  were  all  well  mounted. 

As  the  cry  came  abreast  of  us,  some  three  hundred  yards 
to  the  left,  we  again  gave  our  horses  rein,  and  were  going  at 
full  speed  along  the  road,  having  the  short  lines  on  the 
pack;  but  their  ])ace  was  tremendous. 

Coming  up  on  the  hill  above  the  ford  of  Beaver  Dam,  we 
paused  again  for  the  chase  to  develop;  but  only  for  a 
moment,  Avhen  Reynaid  l)ounded  clear  into  the  middle  of 
the  road  on  the  far  side  of  the  stream,  and  broke  away 
down  the  road  right  through  the  village  of  Mount  Hope, 
and  leading  the  pack  three  hundred  yards.  AVe  held  our 
positions  until  the  hounds  had  passed.  They  came  with 
incredible  speed,  considering  the  ground.  Vanity  leading 
easily,  and  went  down  the  road  at  a  terrible  pace. 

As  soon  as  the  hounds  had  cleared  the  fence,  my  father 
rode  forward,  followed  by  the  hunters,  all  closed  up,  and 
we  were  soon  going  again  at  speed.  The  race  led  along 
the  road  al)out  a  mile,  when  Re^-nai'd  took  to  some  I'ocky 
woodland  on  the  right,  and  it  seemed  he  might  break  away 
for  Negro  Mountain.  Hesitating  a  moment  as  to  our 
course,  ''Tally-hol  "  from  the  venerable  huntsman,  Mr. 
John    Macamblin,   who   had    reinforced    the   pack   with   a 


F<>x-iirxTix(i  i.v  viij(ii\iA.  543 

coui^le  of  blue-mottled  hounds  of  the  Crawford  strain,  and 
^\^e  knew  that  the  Fox  was  coming  back  to  the  road.  He 
would  surely  cross  it  near  our  position,  and  break  away  to 
Broad  Run,  over  ground  favorable  to  him,  and  returning 
by  the  Old  Ridge  route  to  Goose  Creek,  would  now  give  us 
a  tedious  run  of  an  hour  or  more,  with  many  losses  by  the 
hounds,  and  we  should  have  to  make  the  finish  going  up 
the  creek-bottom  again. 

Horsemen  could  not  follow  closely  over  this  course. 
Therefore,  guided  by  my  father,  who  knew  every  foot  of 
the  ground,  we  kept  as  well  in  hearing  as  we  might,  and 
saved  our  horses  as  we  could,  for  the  final  conclusion 
going  up  the  creek  bottom.  Over  this  part  of  the  course, 
we  however  had  full  enjoj^ment  of  the  bracing  air  of  the 
glorious  autumn  day  and  the  superb  melody  of  the  hounds; 
now  near,  now  far,  echoing  and  reechoing  among  the  rocky 
glens,  and  through  the  dim  aisles  of  the  weird  old  forest, 
for  many  a  mile. 

So  at  length  we  rode  out  into  an  open  field  on  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Old  Ridge,  half  a  mile  from  the  creek,  at  a  i^lace 
known  as  Powers'  Hill,  whence  is  a  prospect  hardly  sur- 
passed by  any  inland  scene  within  my  knowledge.  Here 
we  sat  upon  our  horses,  enjoj-ing  the  magnificent  prospect, 
listening  to  the  distant  pack,  whose  course  my  father  knew 
as  well  as  if  the  running  had  been  in  full  view  all  the  way. 

"  Where  will  we  get  in  the  race  again,  'Squire?"  asked 
Mr.  Macamblin. 

"  Right  here,  sir,"  said  my  father. 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Jenkins;  "and  we  shall  not  be  waiting 
ten  minutes."' 

"They  are  crossing  Moran's  Bottom  now,"'  said  Mr. 
Swartz,  one  of  our  party,  distinguished  as  one  of  the  finest 
riders  in  the  State. 

"Yes,"  said  my  father;  "and  the  cry  is  very  keen.  I 
know  they  are  pressing  him  hard;  we  will  see  the  position 
of  things  as  they  pass  here.  I  think  he  will  die  near  the 
starting-point;  he  will  never  go  to  earth,  and  he  can't  live 
it  out  before  that  i)ack  to-day." 


544  Bm   GAME   OK   iXOKTII   AMERICA. 

'*  Tally-ho!"  from  the  keen-eyed  Jenkins,  and  Reynard 
hove  in  view,  coming  over  the  fence  at  the  far  side  of  the 
field  in  which  we  were,  and  making  almost  direct  for  our 
position.  Not  a  hundred  yards  behind  came  Vanity,  fol- 
lowed quickly  by  Juno  and  several  Crawford  hounds,  with 
Rogue  and  Frowner;  the  rest  strung  out  a  little,  but  com- 
ing well  along.  It  was  obvious  that  the  Fox  knew  that  he 
must  do  his  best,  or  die;  his  manner  and  aspect  showed  as 
much.  He  had  now  run,  almost  without  a  break  or  pause, 
fully  twenty  miles,  and  there  were  six  miles  before  him 
before  he  could  gain  the  friendly  cover  of  Negro  Mountain. 
Once  there,  he  would  be  safe;  but  could  he  get  there?  My 
father  said  not,  in  his  opinion,  and  so  we  all  believed;  for 
the  next  six  miles  was  wholly  favorable  to  the  dogs.  It 
however  abounded  with  earths,  and  as  Swartz  put  it: 

"I'm  afraid  he'll  den  under  some  of  those  cliffs,  and  we 
can't  get  him  out." 

"  I  think  not,"  said  my  father;  "but  he  may.'' 

On  Ave  sped  for  awhile,  beyond  the  mouth  of  Beaver  Dam, 
from  whence  Broad  Rock  was  once  more  in  view,  half  a 
mile  to  the  left;  but  the  chase  was  now  up  the  creek-bot- 
toms, clinging  to  the  meanderings  of  the  stream.  Passing 
round  in  front  of  the  pack,  along  the  arc  of  the  horseshoe 
curve,  we  had  a  straight  mile  stretch. 

"  I  want  to  see  them  across  this  bottom,"  said  my  father, 
"and  then  I  think  I  can  tell  how  it  will  be  for  a  cer- 
tainty." 

"  Tally-ho-ooo!"  from  several  horsemen,  and  Reynard 
swung  around  the  bend  before  us,  a  hundred  yards  off,  fol- 
lowed now  within  sixty  yards  by  the  pack,  well  closed  u}); 
and  as  they  broke  from  cover  and  caught  sight,  a  grand 
cliorus  saluted  our  ears,  which  had  in  it  the  unmistakable 
do  or  die.  There  was  now  before  us  a  view-chase  of  nearly 
a  mile,  and  we  followed  hard  upon  the  hounds — the  sight, 
the  fury  of  the  cry,  carrying  us  almost  beyond  ourselves 
with  an  excitement  which  enthused,  with  one  common  im- 
X)ulse.  I'ider,  horse,  and  hounds,  and  must  have  carried 
tenor  to  tlie  heart  of  i)oor  Reynard. 


FOX-HUNTING   IX    VIRGINIA.  545 

It  was  a  tremendous  burst,  and  briefly  over,  when  Rey- 
nard once  more  hid  his  brush  in  friendly  cover,  and  swei)t 
into  an  alcove  behind  a  cliff  in  the  bend  of  the  creek. 
Making  a  detour  to  the  left,  we  encountered  a  stiff  fence, 
at  the  border  of  the  ravine,  too  dangerous  to  attempt;  so, 
swinging  some  yards  farther  to  the  left,  we  struck  into  a 
farm-road,  and  took  the  bars,  the  most  considerable  leap  of 
the  hunt. 

Bounding  toward  the  creek  at  once,  we  met  the  chase  at 
the  head  of  the  cliff;  but  there  was  no  time  for  exchange  of 
words.  Getting  over  an  easy  fence,  each  horseman  in  his 
own  way,  we  reentered  the  mill-dam  field  along  the  water's 
edge,  riding  with  the  pack  at  the  heels  of  the  Fox — Vanity 
nii^ping  at  his  brush  as  he  went  over  the  fence,  the  others 
strung  out  a  little;  Juno  a  few  feet  in  his  rear,  and  Drum- 
mer running  second.  It  was  evident  that  this  was  the  final 
rush;  and  seeing  my  father  settle  himself  in  the  saddle,  and 
turn  the  spur  on  Alice's  flank,  I  rode  for  all  I  was  worth 
for  my  place  at  his  side,  and  in  an  instant  I  was  at  his 
stirruxD. 

"Hark! "'  he  cried,  as  Vanity  seized  Reynard  full  in  the 
back,  and  giving  him  a  snatch,  rolled  over,  and  turned 
him  backward.  In  an  instant,  poor  Reynard  was  seized  by 
Drummer,  and  in  less  than  a  twinkling  of  an  eye,  Juno 
had  hold.  My  father,  Mr.  Jenkins,  William,  and  I  were 
in  together  at  the  death,  and  William,  leaping  from  his 
horse,  seized  the  Fox,  and  cutting  away  the  hounds  with 
his  whip,  held  him  up  by  the  najje  to  the  view  of  the 
admiring  company — the  largest  and  finest  sj)ecimen  of  a 
Red  Fox  any  of  the  party  had  ever  seen. 

My  father  awarded  the  brush  to  William  Jenkins,  and 
the  great  race  was  flnished;  every  horseman  and  every 
hound  being  well  closed  ui^  at  the  death.  Mr.  Macamblin 
said: 

"I  am  an  old  hunter.  I  have  seen  many  hundreds  of 
runs,  in  Ireland,  in  England,  and  in  America.  I  think  Ave 
have  had  to-day,  in  some  respects,  the  grandest  I'un  I  ever 
saw.     I  shall  never  see  such  another,  I  am  sure.     I  am  a 

35 


646  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

partisan  of  the  Crawford  strain;  tliey  are  natives  of  my 
native  country;  they  are  great  Fox-liounds,  but  Vanity  and 
Juno  are  the  greatest  couple  I  ever  saw  run  *' 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Jenkins;  ''there  is  not  another  such 
couple  living,  in  my  opinion.  Through  this  great  race  of 
twenty-five  miles,  Vanity  was  never  once  headed,  and  never 
made  a  serious  fault;  and  Juno  was  second  until  close  to 
the  finish,  when  her  foot  was  badl}'  cut." 

''Well,  Ned,"  said  my  father,  "I  agree  with  you  gen- 
tlemen. This  black-and-tan  strain  is  a  great  strain,  and 
these  sisters  are  its  greatest  representatives;  yet  undoubt- 
edly the  Crawford  strain  has  also  produced  great  hounds. 
I  think  Drummer,  Tanner,  and  Countess  nearly  equal  to 
any  three  I  ever  had  in  my  pack.'' 

"Squire,"  said  Mr.  Macamblin,  "we  are  indebted  to 
you  for  a  great  day's  sj^ort,  and  we  are  happy  that  not  a 
single  circumstance  has  marred  our  i^leasure  in  the  smallest 
degree." 

"Well,"  said  my  father,  "I  hope  w^e  may  all  live  for 
many  another  successful  meet.  And,  gentlemen,  my  house 
is  nearest;  I  insist  that  you  shall  all  dine  with  me.  Gomel" 
And  with  a  blast  of  his  horn,  the  well-trained  pack  came 
to  heel,  and  we  jogged  home  to  dine,  and  discuss  the  events 
of  the  day. 

Years  have  rolled  away  to  join  the  past.  Lately  I  had 
occasion  to  revisit  the  place  of  my  birth,  and  riding  alone, 
my  road  led  through  the  village  of  Mount  Hope.  Not 
one  of  those  who  saw  the  great  chase  go  through  their 
quiet  hamlet  is  living  there  now.  Of  those  who  followed 
the  hounds  that  day,  I  only  am  left.  Reaching  the  Broad 
Rock,  I  reined  up  and  paused  a  few  moments,  regarding  the 
spot.  I  love  to  recall  my  father  as  he  sat  old  Alice  at 
that  spot — a  splendid  type  of  physical  nuinhood,  six  feet 
and  an  inch,  broad-chested,  square-shouldered,  erect,  weigh- 
ing about  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds;  in  the  sj^len- 
did  skill  of  his  horsemanship,  the  peer  of  Turner  Ashby;  in 
the  dignity  of  his  bearing,  of.  the  Old  Virginia  type,  of 


FOX-HUNTING   IN    VIRGINIA. 


547 


wliicli  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  was  the  modern  exemi)lar.  My 
eye  followed  my  thoughts  to  the  distant  hill,  where,  tow- 
ering vast  against  the  clear,  blue  sky,  survivor  of  ten  gen- 
erations of  my  ancestors  buried  at  its  feet,  a  gnarled  and 
mighty  oak  points  from  the  place  of  my  father's  honored 
ashes  to  the  rest  of  his  noble  soul.     I  rode  slowly  on. 

"  Tears,  idle  tears;  I  know  not  what  they  mean.  , 

Tears  from  the  depths  of  some  divine  despair, 
Rose  in  the  heart  and  gathered  to  the  eyes, 
In  looking  on  the  happy  autumn  fields 
And  thinking  of  the  days  that  are  no  more." 


ALLIGATOR-SHOOTING  IN  FLORIDA. 


By  Cyrus  W.  Butler. 


BpROM  the  day  that  Mother  Eve  was  accused  of  the 
*fif  questionable  taste  of  being  tempted  by  a  serpent, 
we  have  had  for  that  order  of  Reptilia  so  little 
interest,  aside  from  fear  and  aversion,  that  this 
dislike  has  not  stopped  with  snakes,  but  has  extended,  in  a 
modified  degree,  to  the  entire  reptilian  class.  It  is  but 
natural,  therefore,  that  of  all  classes  of  animal  life,  that  of 
Reptilia  should  afford  the  least  attraction  to  the  sports- 
man; for,  in  addition  to  this  aversion,  you  can  neither  shoot 
them  on  the  wing  nor  angle  for  them  with  a  split  bamboo; 
and,  as  a  rule,  its  species  are  small,  their  capture  void  of 
pleasure,  and  they  are  worthless  when  caught. 

But,  thanks  to  the  molecule  whose  differentiation  first 
started  in  its  development  the  order  Crocodilla,  we  have  in 
the  United  States  two  species,  the  Crocodile  and  Alligator, 
whose  size  and  ferocity  are  sufiicient  to  interest  the  sports- 
man and  furnish  employment  for  his  best  rifle.  The  sight 
of  the  huge,  glittering  body,  as  it  lies  basking  in  the  sun- 
shine, may  well  cause  his  heart  to  beat  as  hard  and  his 
breath  to  come  as  heavy  as  though  a  more  beautiful  and 
useful  game  animal  lay  before  him. 

The  American  Crocodile  occurs  only  in  South  Florida, 
and  has  never  been  taken  in  any  great  numbers.  In  the 
winter  of  1888  and  1889,  Dr.  J.  W.  Velie,  of  tlie  Chicago 
Academy  of  Sciences,  secured  twenty  specimens  on  the 
southwest  coast  of  the  State,  the  largest  of  which  was 
fifteen  feet  and  six  inches  in  length. 

The  most  distinguishing  characteristic  of  this  Crocodile, 
as  comjDared  with  the  Alligator,  is  that  the  end  of  the  jaws 
are  wider  than  they  are  farther  back,  so  that  a  rope  can  be 

(549) 


560  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

tied  around  them  without  slipping  off.  The  upper  jaw  is 
narrower  than  the  lower,  and  the  canines  of  the  latter 
extend  through  holes  in  the  former,  so  that  the  ends  of 
those  teeth  j^rotrude  above  the  upper  jaw.  However,  as  I 
know  little  of  the  Crocodile,  I  will  say  nothing  more,  but 
proceed  with  an  intimate  acquaintance,  Alligator  Missis- 
sijipiensls,  more  commonly  known  as  '"Gator." 

As  with  all  animal  life,  he  begins  as  an  ^gg,  and  like  most 
reptiles,  his  external  existence  as  such  is  in  the  form  of  a 
pretty,  white,  and  hard-shelled  egg,  much  harder  than  that 
of  the  domestic  hen,  about  three  inches  in  length,  and  one- 
half  as  wide.  The  nest  is  composed  of  vegetation  and 
earth,  piled  a  foot  or  two  high  and  from  four  to  five  feet  in 
diameter,  in  the  center  of  which  are  laid,  sometimes,  as 
many  as  seventy -five  eggs,  which  are  covered  with  earth 
and  hatched  by  the  heat  of  the  sun;  the  mother  meantime 
carefully  guards  them  from  depredators. 

When  hatched,  the  young  are  six  or  seven  inches  in 
length,  and  in  spite  of  their  reptilian  characteristics,  have  a 
decidedly  infantile  appearance.  In  order  to  get  a  plentiful 
supply  of  tadpoles  and  small  fish,  and  to  escape  their  affec- 
tionate papas,  who,  it  is  said,  love  them,  alas !  only  too 
well,  the  mother  then  takes  them  to  some  secluded  nursery, 
perhaps  a  hole  in  a  small  creek,  or  a  wet  place  in  a  swamp, 
where,  if  the  water  be  low,  she  digs  a  hole,  beneath  the 
surface,  into  which  she  and  her  young  may  retire.  What 
their  period  of  growth  or  attainable  age  is,  I  do  not  know, 
but  they  sometimes  reach  a  length  of  fifteen  feet  and  a 
probable  weight  of  four  hundred  pounds. 

With  the  appearance  of  the  'Gator,  all  are  acquainted — 
his  immensely  elongated  jaws,  armed  with  a  hundred  teeth; 
long,  dark,  and  knotty  reptilian  head;  brown,  cat-pupiled 
eyes,  that  in  the  heat  of  anger  burn  with  such  dark  ferocity, 
and  say,  only  too  x^lainly,  "Xo  quarter  here;"  no  external 
ear,  but  an  aperture  covered  with  a  valve-like  flap,  to  keep 
the  water  out;  round  neck;  rather  small  and  short  legs; 
body  swelling  from  just  back  of  the  fore  legs  to  the  center 
and  then  decreasing  to  the  hinder  legs;,  a  heavily  muscled 


ALLIGATOR-SHOOTING   IX   FLORIDA.  551 

tail,  as  long  as  head  and  body  combined.  The  whole  body  is 
covered  with  a  tough  skin,  brownish-black  above  and  white 
beneath,  all  creased  with  square-cornered  checks  beneath 
and  on  the  tail  and  smaller  irregular  forms  on  the  sides 
and  legs.  The  entire  upper  surface  is  more  or  less  covered 
with  round  plates  of  bone  set  on  the  skin,  each  plate  having 
a  median  keel,  that  gives  the  animal's  back  his  rough 
apijearance.  The  keels  on  the  outer  row  of  tail-plates  are 
much  higher  than  the  rest,  thus  giving  the  outer  sides 
sharp,  high  edges,  which  converge  until  they  meet,  back 
of  the  center,  to  form  the  sharp  uj^per  edge  of  the  tail, 
which  is  much  flattened  there. 

The  Alligator  is  found  as  far  north  as  Memphis.  Tennes- 
see; is  common  in  the  Gulf  States,  but  to-day  is  probably 
most  abundant  in  Florida,  AVhere  it  is  cold  enough  to 
freeze,  he  hibernates  during  the  cold  spell;  but  in  South 
Florida  he  may  be  found  wide-awake  and  enjoying  life 
throughout  the  year. 

They  feed  on  any  animal  life  obtainable,  from  horseshoe 
crabs  to  dogs  and  pigs,  and  are  commonly  regarded  as 
being  fond  of  negro  babies;  but  their  most  common  diet  is 
fish.  Of  thirty-six  specimens ^from  six  to  eleven  feet  in 
length — whose  stomachs  I  examined,  twenty  contained  noth- 
ing but  fishy-smelling  water  and  oil,  remnants  of  a  few  small 
minnows,  and,  in  almost  every  case,  one  or  two  small  sorts 
of  an  aquatic  j)ln.nt.  Two  liad  dined  on  a  brace  of  wild 
ducks  each,  while  the  remaining  fourteen  were  all  killed  at 
a  time  when  the  surface  of  the  lake  was  strewn  with  dead 
fish;  and  each  'Gator  had  laid  in  a  stock  of  provisions  lim- 
ited only  by  his  storage  capacity. 

From  the  frequent  occurrence  of  the  aquatic  roots  in  their 
stomachs,  it  appears  that  they  are  not  entirely  carnivorous. 
A  ''Cracker"  informs  me  that  he  planted  a  crop  of  cucum- 
bers near  a  pond,  and  that  when  the  "cukes  were  big  enough 
to  pull,  the  "Gators  come  up  and  cleaned  out  the  hull  cro]).'' 

It  is  evident  that  a  square  meal  is  an  uncertain  event, 
and  doubtless  weeks  often  elapse  during  which  the  Alligator 
has  little  or  nothing  to  eat.     In  fontinement,  they  are  said 


552  BIG   UAME   OF   NUKTII   AMERICA. 

to  have  lived  six  months  without  food.  AVhen  prey  is 
cauglit  of  sufficient  size  to  offer  resistance,  the  Alligator 
sets  his  jaws  with  a  vise-like  grip;  tlu^n,  ])y  using  his  tail, 
rolls  rapidly  over  and  over  until  the  prey  is  drowned, 
when,  if  it  be  too  large  to  swallow  whole,  a  mouthful  is 
seized,  and  the  rolling  process  rej^eated,  until  it  is  bitten 
and  twisted  off. 

In  their  common  walk,  the  central  surface  just  clears 
the  ground,  and  the  end  of  the  tail  drags  so  as  to  leave  a 
sharp  cut  in  the  nuid  between  the  foot-prints.  But,  when 
necessary,  the  Alligator  can  arch  his  back,  straighten  his 
legs  so  as  to  raise  his  body  some  distance  from  the  ground, 
and  shuffle  off  at  a  surprising  gait.  As  a  rule,  he  seldom 
goes  far  from  water,  and  when  he  does,  it  is  in  traveling 
from  one  body  of  water  to  another.  If  the  water  dries  up, 
he  selects  the  lowest  place  in  the  basin,  and  digs  a  hole, 
usually  five  or  six  feet  deej),  running  back  under  some  pro- 
tecting growth,  whose  roots  keep  the  roof  from  falling  in 
upon  him.  Here  he  lies  and  dreams  the  hours  away,  in  a 
chronic  state  of  mud-bath. 

The  swimming  is  done  entirely  by  the  tail,  the  legs  being 
laid  back  against  the  body;  the  powerful,  flat-ended  tail 
sweeps  from  side  to  side,  just  as  a  flsh  iises  its  tail,  excepting 
that  a  'Gator's  tail,  being  longer,  has  a  more  serpentine 
motion.  As  usually  seen  swimming,  the  upper  half  of  the 
head  is  above  water,  and  moving  slowly  along;  but  at  times, 
when  startled  from  the  shore,  he  will  plunge  quickly  in, 
and  swim  off  underneath  the  surface  for  a  short  distance, 
at  the  rate  of  six  or  seven  miles  an  hour. 

As  to  his  disposition,  I  am  afraid  that,  aside  from  its 
most  prominent  features,  it  will  remain  to  the  human  mind 
a  sealed  book;  for  however  Avell  we  may  understand  him 
fi'oni  our  own  stand-i)oint,  we  are  utterly  at  a  loss  to  under- 
stand him  from  his,  as  outside  of  obedience  to  the  two 
most  i)r()minent  law.s  of  life-  fhe  preservation  of  the  indi- 
vidual and  the  perpetuation  of  the  species— he  seems  to 
take  so  little  intei-est  in  existence  that  you  can  not  help 
wondering  what  it  may  all  mean  to  him. 


ALLIGATOR-SHOOTING   IN"   FLORIDA.  553 

Where  the  death-dealing  hand  of  man  has  not  set 
the  seal  of  fear  npon  the  'Gator,  yon  can  apx^roach,  even 
in  open  water,  to  within  a  few  yards  of  him  witliont  attract- 
ing any  more  attention  than  a  wide- opened  month  and 
an  aspirated  hiss;  but  after  a  few  days'  shooting,  their 
noses,  ears,  and  eyes  all  detect  your  i)resence,  and  their 
fast-disappearing  forms  suggest  an  unsuspected  aptness  in 
receiving  object-lessons.  On  the  whole,  he  is  a  sluggish, 
very  sluggish,  animal,  not  even  being  an  active  hunter;  but 
loafs  around  in  hope  that  something  may  turn  up — that 
probably  a  fish  may  unwittingly  swim  near  enough  to  be 
snai)ped*up  by  a  quick  motion  of  his  long  jaws.  But  lazy 
and  sluggish  as  he  is,  and  cold  as  is  his  blood,  there  are 
times  when  it  must  course  swiftly  through  his  veins;  for  on 
a  little  island  of  muck,  in  the  center  of  a  pond,  a  female  is 
heaping  up  a  pile  of  saw-grass  and  dirt  for  a  nest,  while 
upon  opposite  sides  of  the  j)ond,  and  just  upon  the  edge  of 
the  saw-grass,  eying  her  with  warm  glances  of  admiration, 
and  each  other  with  the  sullen  glare  of  hatred,  lie  two  oki 
males,  whose  scarred  and  bleeding  bodies  testify  that  even 
a 'Gator's  cold  blood  is  thicker  than  water.  The  smaller 
one  moves  painfully,  for  his  right  fore  foot  is  missing — 
the  larger  one  got  his  jaws  upon  it,  a  few  rapid  turns,  and 
the  foot  was  gone,  probably  soon  buried  in  the  stomach 
of  the  victor.  This  loss  of  a  foot  in  fighting  is  quite  com- 
mon, for  I  have  taken  three  thus  maimed  and  heard  of 
others.  Again,  they  may  fight  for  no  apparent  reason,  as 
a  reliable  witness  tells  me  of  a  severe  and,  on  the  part  of 
both,  voluntary  fight  between  a  large 'Gator  and  a  Shark 
of  equal  length,  in  which  the  former  came  off  victor. 

While  the  'Gator  has  been  known  to  make  an  unpro- 
voked attack  on  a  man,  and  while  in  isolated  regions,  when 
not  acquainted  with  fire-arms,  it  would  not  be  wise  to  vent- 
ure into  water  near  large  ones  or  the  nests  of  females,  still, 
as  a  rule,  they  are  only  too  glad  to  make  good  their 
escape. 

To  those  who  anticipate  sport  with  the  '  Gator,  the  ques- 
tion naturally  arises  as  to  what  is  the  best  fire-arm  for  the 


554  BIG   GAME   OF  NORTH   AMERICA. 

purpose.  The  idea  seems  prevalent  that  it  requires  an 
Exi)ress  charge  to  get  a  bullet  into  his  head.  It  is  a  mis- 
take. A  thirty-two-caliber  bullet,  driven  by  a  fair  charge 
of  powder,  would,  if  it  hit  squarely,  enter  any  'Gators 
head,  and,  properly  placed,  would  be  as  effective  as  a  can- 
non-ball; while  a  charge  of  No.  6  shot,  at  thirty  yards,  would 
enter  his  side.  Of  course,  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  a  thirty- 
two-caliber  would  be  a  desirable  size,  but  only  to  make  it 
understood  that  a  large,  eight-bore  Express  charge  is 
wholly  unnecessary.  For  all-around  'Gator-hunting,  I 
would  prefer  a  thirty-eight  or  forty  caliber  repeating- 
rille,  giving  the  flattest  i^ossible  trajectory  consistent  with 
accuracy.  Tliese  sizes  are  large  enough,  and  in  many  cases 
a  rejDeater  will  be  found  preferable  to  a  single-shot;  while 
the  flat  trajectory  will  be  found  especially  desirable  in 
making  long  shots  over  water,  wiiere  the  distance  is  diffi- 
cult to  estimate  with  a  sufficient  degree  of  accuracy  to  put 
the  ball  into  the  small  portion  of  the  'Gator's  head  that  is 
visible  above  the  water-line. 

As  for  mj^self,  I  used  a  thirty-eiglit-caliber  Winchester, 
model  of  '78,  on  wiiicli  I  replaced  the  front  sight  with  one 
made  from  a  'Gators  tooth,  which  reflected  less  light  than 
the  original  metallic  one,  and  flled  the  rear  sight  flat  on 
top;  then  with  a  rough-edged  case-knife  I  cut  a  fine  groove 
in  the  center.  Of  all  open  sights,  I  like  this  best,  as 
at  a  quick  glance  it  gives  the  clearest  idea  of  just  how 
coarse  or  fine  a  sight  you  are  drawing,  and  is  especially 
advantageous  in  shooting  in  twilight.  With  this  rifle  so 
sighted,  and  reloading  my  own  shells,  I  have  killed  from 
a  moving  l)oat,  at  from  forty  to  one  hundred  yards,  eight 
swimming  'Gators  in  as  many  consecutive  shots,  hitting 
them  all  in  the  ear;  but  of  course  this  was  an  exceptional 
run  of  luck,  that  I  could  never  hope  to  duplicate.  In  slioot- 
ing  any  game,  it  is  usually  now  or  never.  If  the  distance 
be  great,  it  is  necessary  to  estimate  the  same  as  the  gun 
conies  to  the  shoulder — and  even  with  the  most  experi- 
enced, these  estimates  are  often  far  from  correct;  and  espe- 
ciallv  over  water  is  this  the  case. 


ALLIGATOR-SHOOTING   IN   FLORIDA.  555 

When  it  aftme  to  shooting  two  hundred  yards  or  over, 
unless  the  'Gator  would  kindly  wait  for  a  second  or  tliird 
shot,  he  usually  escaped,  and  this  escape  was  most  always 
due  to  under  or  over  shooting;  consequently  the  desirability 
of  a  flat  trajectory.  To  be  sure,  three-fourths  of  the  game, 
at  least,  killed  in  wooded  countries  is  killed  within  one 
hundred  yards;  but  the  remaining  one-fourth  is  of  sufficient 
importance  to  Justify  special  effort,  first  in  securing  tlie 
proper  rifle,  and  second  in  diligent  and  careful  target 
practice,  until  you  can  tell  just  where  the  ball  is  going  to 
strike  at  a  given  distance.  In  wooded  countries,  you  sliould 
carry  the  rifle  sighted  at  say  one  hundred  yards;  then  at 
fifty  yards  aim  a  couple  of  Indies  under  where  you 
desire  to  hit;  at  two  hundred  yards,  six  inches  above,  etc. 
In  a  short  time  you  will  learn  to  estimate  distances  cor- 
rectly, and  to  hold  over  or  under  just  enough  to  bag  the 
game,  in  the  majority  of  cases. 

On  the  west  coast  of  Florida,  between  Tampa  Bay  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  lies  the  little  sub-peninsula  of  Pinellas, 
which  runs  out  from  the  west  coast  much  the  same  as  the 
State  does  from  the  south  coast  of  the  United  States,  thus 
making  a  little  sub-Florida,  with  all  of  her  climatic  peculiar- 
ities in  a  slightly  intensified  degree.  Like  its  mother  penin- 
sula from  which  it  springs,  Pinellas  has  its  fair  number  of 
ponds,  some  creeks  and  small  lakes,  all  of  which  support 
their  share  of  animal  life;  but  in  this  respect  La  go  Magoire 
outranks  all  the  rest,  for,  from  microscopic  crustaceans  to 
fish,  its  shallow  waters  are  unusually  full  of  life.  So  rich  a 
part  should  have  its  guests,  and  so  it  has;  for  scattered  over 
the  suface  of  its  waters,  and  upon  the  banks  of  Lago 
Magoire,  lie  many  'Gators. 

So  much  for  our  game  and  the  arms  to  take  him  Avith; 
and  now  for  a  few  hunts  for  him  in  Lago  Magoire.  It  is 
often  as  desirable  to  know  what  not  to  do  as  to  know  what 
t-o  do;  so  let  us  begin  with  my  first  "Gator.    ■ 

Looking  across  the  smooth  Avaters  of  the  lake  toward 
its  palmetto- lined  shore,  we  saw  its  surface  broken  by  many 
a  long,  dark  head  and  an  occasional  rough  back,  all  lux- 


556  ma  game  of  north  America. 

uriating  in  tlie  morning  sunshine  just  reaching  them  over 
the  tops  of  the  tall  pines  and  cabbage  palmettos.  Confi- 
dent of  success,  with  so  many  in  sight,  we  pulled  for  them 
in  a  boat;  but,  one  by  one,  as  we  glided  almost  near  enough, 
sunk  slowly  beneath  the  water,  leaving  but  the  vanish- 
ing ripple  to  mark  the  place  where  each  went  down. 
Finally,  despairing  of  finding  any  asleep,  blind,  or  absent- 
minded,  I  landed,  leaving  W and  the  ladies  in  the  boat, 

fishing.  After  creeping  through  a  hummock  of  live  oak, 
cabbage  palmetto,  and  undergrowth,  I  came  to  a  more  open 
growth  of  pines  and  saw-palmetto,  where  I  could  get  a  view 
of  the  lake;  and  on  looking  down  the  shore,  saw,  just  off 
a  point  of  land,  a  half-dozen  suspicious-looking  objects. 
Making  a  detour  back  from  the  shore,  I  crept  through  the 
palmettos  toward  the  point.  On  arriving  at  the  shore,  and 
cautiously  looking  over  my  cover,  I  saw  the  heads  of  six 
of  the  great  saurians,  all  within  one  hundi;ed  yards  of 
where  I  stood.  Having  always  heard  that  the  eye  is  the 
proper  place  in  which  to  shoot  a  '  Gator,  I  x)icked  out  the 
largest,  and  aiming  for  his  visual  organ,  fired,  only  to  see 
him  start  oft'  for  deep  water  at  a  rapid  rate.  I  kept  on 
pumping  balls  from  the  Winchester  until  I  had  fired  seven 
shots,  when  he  halted,  lashed  the  water  with  his  tail,  raised 
his  head,  shook  it  in  a  tragic  way,  and  sunk. 

Having  to  give  him  up,  I  soon  found  others;  and  by 
repeating  my  stalking,  got  within  fifty  yards  of  two,  who 
discovered  me  at  the  same  moment,  and  made  such  haste  to 
leave  as  to  forget  to  take  their  heads  under  water.  At  the 
first  shot,  the  farther  one  sunk  dead;  at  the  second,  the 
nearest  one  rolled  over,  raised  one  fore  leg  above  the  water, 
and  waved  it  in  a  manner  so  suggestive  of  "Good-bye, 
Brother  Watkins,''  that  I  thought  he  too  was  dead.  No 
boat  being  near,  and  fearing  that  he  would  soon  sink,  I  con- 
cluded to  wade  in  and  float  him  ashore.  As  I  intended  to 
jH'epare  his  skin  for  mounting,  I  did  not  want  to  tear  up 
his  skull  with  any  more  bullets;  so,  leaving  mj'  rifle  on  the 
high  ground,  and  cutting  a  green  pine  sapling,  about  three 
inclips  in  diameter,  to  use  in  case  of  necessitv,  I  waded  con- 


ALLIGATOU-SHOOTIXG    IX    FLOlUDA.  557 

fidently  toward  his  'Gatorsliip,  now  lying  toes  up.  Wlien 
within  a  few  yards  of  him,  he  suddenly  began  a  series  of 
revolutions  that  would  have  done  credit  to  an  acrobat,  and 
as  he  turned  the  top  of  his  head,  displayed  a  hole  as  lai'ge 
as  an  orange,  where  the  bullet  had  knocked  out  a  bone. 

In  his  struggles,  he  came  within  reach  of  my  club,  when 
I  dealt  him  a  blow  that  I  expected  would  finish  him;  but 
the  green  pine  proved  too  springy  to  be  effective,  as  it  only 
called  his  attention  to  my  presence,  and,  with  a  stroke  of 
his  tail,  he  shot  toward  me.  Not  having  time  to  retreat,  or 
even  to  raise  my  club,  I  quickly  stuck  the  end  of  it  into  the 
hole  in  his  skull,  and  thus  keeping  him  at  a  short  distance, 
began  backing  toward  shore. 

Time  and  again  he  freed  himself  from  the  end  of  my 
club,  and  each  time  advanced  to  the  attack,  but  only  to 
again  realize  the  point  of  my  protest  in  the  sharp  end  of 
the  sapling  firmly  inserted  in  his  sore  spot. 

Thus  remonstrating,  I  finally  reached  shore,  where  I 
expected  liim  to  give  up  the  attack;  but  no,  his  blood  was 
up,  and  in  spite  of  the  blows  that  I  rained  upon  him  with 
the  springy  sapling,  he  followed  me  a  couple  of  rods  on. 
land,  w^hen,  by  a  quick  grasp,  he  got  my  pole  in  his  mouthy 
and  by  rolling  rapidly  over  in  the  mud,  twisted  it  from  me. 
I  soon  regained  it,  however,  and  belabored  him  so  severely 
that  he  turned  and  ran  to  the  water.  Having  begun  to  look 
upon  his  skin  as  belonging  to  me,  I  did  not  -like  the  pros- 
pect of  losing  it,  and  so  gras^jing  the  end  of  his  tail  as  he 
was  entering  the  water,  a  struggle  ensued  that  fanned  me 
around  pretty  lively,  and  frequently  landed  me  in  the  mud; 
but  he  finally  became  exhausted,  and  taking  advantage  of 
a  passive  moment,  I  dragged  him  back,  and  beat  him  until 
he  was  stunned;  then,  turning  him  over,  used  a  knife  on 
him  in  a  way  that  I  thought  would  be  effectual.  Alter 
regaining  my  breath,  I  measured  him,  and  found  him  to  be 
eight  feet  in  length. 

On  returning  to  the  boat,  I  saw  W  —  fast  asleep,  with 
fishing-line  in  hand.  In  response  to  my  excited  calling,  he 
jumxDed    up,  grasped  the  oars,  and   began  making  earnest 


558  BIO  GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

but  awkward  efforts  to  row,  that  resulted  in  no  movement 
of  the  l)oat,  but  much  merriment  among  the  ladies.     They 

hiuglied  all   the  louder  as  W 's  awkward  efforts  grew 

more  tragic,  until,  tired  of  the  splashing  that  they  were 
getting,  they  told  him  that  it  was  customary  to  take  up  the 
anchor  before  rowing  away. 

After  reaching  the  Alligator,  we  found  him  again  on  his 
feet.  He  was  again  subjected  to  the  killing  process,  and 
tied  to  the  landing,  where  I  found  him  the  next  day,  not 
dead,  but  still  able  to  walk.  I  have  recounted  this  advent- 
ure, not  in  order  to  show  how  to  kill  an  Alligator,  but  to 
illustrate  his  wonderful  vitality  and  his  tenacity  of  life; 
also  to  teach  Northern  sportsmen  wiiat  course  to  shun. 

On  reaching  the  place  where  I  had  killed  the  Alligator 
dead  at  the  first  shot,  w-e  fished  him  up,  and  found  that  I 
had  hit  him  in  the  ear;  and  on  dissecting  his  head,  learned 
that  the  brain  of  a  ten-foot  Alligator  is  no  larger  than  a 
man's  thumb;  that  owing  to  its  small  size  and  location,  it 
is  not  to  be  reached  from  the  eye  unless  tiie  ball  ranges 
backward  and  downward  after  striking;  that  some  of  the 
topmost  bones  of  the  skull  could  be  removed  without 
exposing  the  brain,  and  that  the  proper  place  to  shoot  a 
'Gator,  when  broadside  to  you,  is  in  the  ear,  which,  in  a 
ten-foot  animal,  is  about  three  inches  back  of  the  eye. 
Acting  in  accordance  with  the  knowledge  gained  in  dissect- 
ing that  head,  I  have  since  shot  over  fifty  'Gators,  from  six 
to  eleven  feet  in  lengtli,  and  seldom  failed  to  kill  them 
at  the  first  shot.  As  a  dead  'Gator  is  such  an  uncer- 
tain quantity,  it  is  well  to  run  the  small  blade  of  a  pocket- 
knife  down  between  the  occiput  and  the.  first  cervical 
vertebra,  thus  severing  the  spinal  cord,  which  is  the  most 
effectual  way  of  killing  any  animal.  After  treating  them 
in  this  way,  I  have  taken  three  'Gators,  weighing  at  least 
two  hundred  pounds  each,  into  a  skiff  at  one  time. 

In  regard  to  the  different  methods  of  api)roach,  any 
experienced  hunter  would  be  able  to  choose  the  best  on 
seeing  the  lay  of  the  land.  Shooting  from  the  shore  is 
usually  most  successful;  but  a  boat  should  be  handy,  for  a 


ALLIGATOR-SIIOOTIXG    IX   FLOltlDA.  559 

'Gator  usually  sinks  as  soon  as  killed,  if  his  lungs  are  not 
filled  with  air,  and  in  case  they  are  so  filled,  it  is  likely 
to  escajie  as  soon  as  the  animal  is  dead. 

When  not  too  wild,  they  can  be  approached  in  a  boat 
even  in  plain  sight;  but  this  depends  upon  how  much  they 
have  been  shot  at.  Like  all  rei)tiles,  tliey  learn  quickly, 
esj)ecially  when  taught  in  such  impressive  ways. 

On  warm,  sunshiny  days,  they  are  especially  fond  of 
basking  on  the  bank;  for  even  a  'Gator  appreciates  the 
hygienic  value  of  a  sun-bath.  Taking  advantage  of  a  cer- 
tain morning  when  the  wind  was  blowing  parallel  with  the 
shore,  rigging  a  skiff  with  oar-lock  in  the  stern,  wraj)- 
ping  the  oar  with  cloth  so  as  to  make  it  noiseless,  and 
tying  it  to  the  boat  so  that  it  could  be  dropped  without 
losing,  I  stood,  rifie  in  my  right  hand  and  oar  in  my  left, 
only  steering  when  the  wind  was  in  my  favor,  but  sculling 
when  necessary.  Thus  gliding  noiselessly  along  the  edge 
of  the  saw-grass,  which  in  x^laces  was  trampled  down  by 
Alligators  into  beds  that  grew  more  and  more  frequent  as 
I  progressed,  I  "kep'  an  eye  skun,''  as  the  Cracker  ex- 
presses it,  for  the  long  game.  As  I  rounded  a  small  point, 
I  heard  a  si)lash,  and  caught  sight  of  a  huge  serrated  tail, 
as  the  fast-traveling  waves  reminded  me  that  the  eyes,  ears, 
and  nose  of  even  a '  Gator  are  often  too  sensitive  for  us,  and 
that  their  sluggish  muscle  is  capable  of  rapid  motion  when 
necessary. 

Another  and  another  plunge;  but  it  would  not  pay  to 
wait  for  them  to  come  up,  for  it  might  not  be  for  half  an 
hour,  and  then  they  might  be  far  out  in  the  lake. 

As  I  rounded  another  point,  straining  every  nerve  of 
sight  and  hearing,  whack  I  came  a  mullet  against  the  boat 
with  such  force  as  to  give  me  a  nervous  start;  but  the  same 
noise  gave  something  else  a  start,  for  first  a  rustling  in  the 
grass,  and  then  a  long,  dark  head  appeared  at  the  edge, 
and,  unfortunately  for  its  owner,  cast  his  first  glance  down 
the  lake,  and  before  he  could  turn  his  head,  a  ball  had 
crashed  through  it,  and  lodged  under  the  tough  skin  on 
the  opposite  side.     The  shot  aroused  three  more  saurians, 


660  BIG   GAME   OF   NOKTII   AMERICA. 

the  nearest  of  which  fell  an  easy  prey,  and  turned  toes  uj), 
one  foot  moving  to  and  fro  in  a  dreamy  sort  of  way.  I  soon 
sculled  alongside  of  him,  threw  a  noose  around  his  neck, 
took  a  half-hitch  around  his  jaws  to  keejD  them  shut,  drew 
his  head  over  the  stern  of  the  boat,  and  with  a  small  knife 
severed  his  spinal  cord.  He  was  not  over  eight  feet  in 
length,  so  I  easily  dragged  him  aboard. 

Returning  to  the  first '  Gator,  I  got  the  rope  around  his 
neck  and  began  pulling  him  uj),  when  he  began  rolling,  thus 
winding  the  rope  around  his  body  until  my  hands  were 
brought  against  his  rough  back,  when  I  had  to  let  go,  and 
he  went  down,  and,  as  the  rising  bubbles  plainly  told,  was 
crawling  along  the  bottom.  Picking  \ip  my  striking-pole, 
to  which  was  attached  a  lily-iron  and  long  line,  I  followed 
the  path  of  bubbles,  and  when  over  my  game  endeavored  to 
plunge  it  into  him;  but  striking  under  such  conditions  is 
uncertain  work,  and  it  was  a  good  half-hour  before  I  made 
a  fortunate  throw  that  buried  the  iron  in  his  back.  Then 
away  we  went.  I  rested  from  my  exertions,  while  taking  a 
ride  at  his  expense,  until,  tired  out,  he  sulked  at  the  bottom. 

Being  anxious  to  dispatch  him,  I  punched  him  with  the 
oar  until  he,  now  in  fighting  humor,  came  up  in  good  style, 
with  an  ugly  glare  in  his  eyes,  and  with  open  mouth  made  for 
the  boat.  I  thrust  the  pine  oar  into  his  mouth,  and  picked  up 
my  ritle.  With  a  snap  and  a  twist,  the  oar  flew  through  the 
air,  the  handle  striking  against  the  boat;  the  'Gator  having 
broken  off  a  mouthful.  He  again  made  for  the  boat,  when, 
with  the  muzzle  of  the  ritle  within  two  feet  of  his  head, 
another  bullet  met  him,  and  caused  his  jaws  to  drop 
together  limp  and  lifeless.  He  was  eleven  feet  long,  and  too 
heavy  to  lift  aboard;  but  tying  a  rope  near  each  end  of  the 
boat,  and  passing  the  loose  ends  under  the  'Gator,  then 
taking  an  end  in  each  hand,  and  standing  on  the  gunwale  so 
as  to  sink  it  to  the  water's  level,  by  heavy  hauling  on  the 
ropes  I  rolled  him  aboard,  just  as  a  log  is  rolled  ux>on  a 
wagon. 

Oil  tlie  way  to  the  landing  I  killed  a  third  'Gator,  that, 
from  rhi>  way  in  which   he  allowed  me  to  approach  him. 


ALLIGATOR-SHOOTIXG    IX   FLOKIDA.  561 

must  have  wanted  to  commit  suicide.  The  boat  was  n<j\v 
heavily  loaded,  and  sitting  astride  of  the  hirgest,  with  a 
smaller  one  on  either  side,  I  moved  slowly  homeward.  I  did 
not  notice  the  high-piled  white  clouds  that  tipped  the  dis- 
tant pines  until  the  threatening  thunder  shook  the  air,  and 
the  softest  of  Florida  zephyrs,  that  caress  your  cheek  as 
gently  as  the  hand  of  a  babe,  grew  into  a  breeze,  ruffled  the 
water,  bent  low  the  grass  and  rushes.  Then  it  came  stronger 
and  stronger,  causing  the  great  pines  and  palmettos  to  sing 
their  solemn  song  of  complaint,  until  the  heart  of  Mother 
Nature  was  full,  her  passion  had  reached  its  height,  and 
tears  followed.  They  fell  until  everything  was  drenched; 
and  then,  as  quickh'  as  it  had  come,  the  storm  passed  aw'ay, 
across  the  low  land  beyond  the  lake,  and  disappeared  <jver 
the  distant  j)ines.  The  sun  came  out,  and  each  glittering 
drop  did  its  best  to  acknowledge  and  retiect  back  his  smile. 

The  rain-drops  had  beaten  the  ^vaves  down,  so  that  in  a 
few  minutes  the  surface  of  the  lake  was  as  smooth  as  a  mir- 
ror. It  was  soon  broken,  however,  behind  me,  by  a  rising 
head  and  an  arched  tail.  Both  raised  well  out  of  water,  when 
from  his  mouth  came  the  deej),  sepulchral  roar  of  an  old  bull 
'Gator.  Scarcely  had  its  last  vibrations  died  away,  when,  as 
far  as  eye  could  see  them,  the  lake  Ijecame  dotted  with  high- 
raised  heads  and  arched  tails;  while  from  every  throat  came 
the  deep  roar  that,  swelling  into  a  weird  chorus,  rolled 
across  the  lake,  over  the  tlat  shore,  and  into  the  pines,  as  if 
following  the  rain. 

As  to  the  cause  of  this  "  Gator  concert,  I  leave  others  to 
guess.  I  can  not  explain  it,  but  would  suggest  that  all  being 
subjected  to  the  same  conditions  of  weather  likely  to  cause 
them  to  roar,  the  governing  impulse  of  example  of  the 
leader  was  sufficient  to  start  the  others  —just  as  a  flock  of 
chickens,  standing  idly  by  the  barn,  may  all  stretch  out 
their  neck.s.  spread  their  wings,  and  run  in  play,  simply 
because  one  of  their  number  started  them  by  his  example. 

Next,  we  concluded  to  try  striking  'Gators  l)y  firelight, 
and  rigging  a  jack  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  stored  away 
a  few  armf  uls  of  fat  pine.   As  darkness  closed  around  us,  we 

36 


t)G2  lUG   OAMK   OF    NORTH   AMERICA, 

lit  the  torch,  and  with  Doctor  A at  the  oars,  and  myself 

standing  in  the  bow,  striking-pole  in  hand,  with  two  hun- 
dred I'eet  of  line  coiled  carefully  at  my  feet,  we  glided  out 
into  darkness;  yet  we  were  always  surrounded  by  a  circle 
of  light,  that,  when  the  water  was  not  too  deep,  lit  it  .uj)  to 
the  l)ottom. 

To  our  right,  darted  away  an  old  red- fish,  with  a  speed 
that  seemed  to  be  born  of  the  knowledge  that  he  was  good 
to  eat;  while  to  the  left,  ran,  in  hurried  confusion,  a  school 
of  mullet.  Side  wise,  backward — any  way  to  get  away — 
scampered  the  crabs,  every  motion  showing  lively  abeyance 
to  fear,  yet  ever  jiresenting  their  defensive  claws  in  a  defi- 
ant way,  as  if  to  say,  "  You  had  better  not;  1*11  bite.'' 

As  we  neared  the  opposite  shore,  the  shadows  of  the 
tall  trees  added  their  strange  charm  to  the  dark  water,  and 
the  harsh  cry  of  the  startled  heron,  as  he  rose  from  his  bed, 
gave  filing  voice  to  the  weird  scene  around  us. 

"  Ouch  !  Great  Caesar  ! "  These  exclamations  gave  ex- 
pression to  the  fact  that  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  had  swung 
the  jack  of  burning  pine  against  my  head  and  shoulders; 
but  there  was  no  harm  done  beyond  singed  hair  and  a 
spattering  of  hot  pitch,  that  refused  to  be  removed  without 
taking  the  epidermis  with  it.  Then  turning  my  back  to 
the  light,  I  saw,  off  to  the  left,  a  pair  of  'Gators  eyes 
lighted  up  by  the  glare  of  our  beacon.  The  Doctor  now 
put  the  boat  within  twenty  feet  of  the  owner  of  the  eyes, 
who  blinked  wondering! y  at  the  strange  apparition.  I  had 
a  fair  strike,  but  the  lily-iron  happened  to  strike  a  bony 
plate,  glanced  off,  and  the  head  of  the  reptile  disappeared 
beneath  the  dark  water. 

Soon  the  white  chin  of  another  appeared  within  our 
circle  of  light,  and  as  the  pole  left  my  hand,  I  grasped  the 
line,  now  running  out  as  fast  as  a  nine-foot  'Gator  could 
travel.  The  boat  was  now  under  headway,  the  'Gator 
doing  his  level  best  to  get  away,  and  swimming  head  and 
shoulders  above  water:  our  light  swinging  to  and  fro,  and 
the  water  splashing  against  the  boat^all  served  to  give  us 
a  novel  niidniuht  ride.      But  our  tow-horse  soon  became 


ALLIGATOR-SIIOOTIXG   IX    FLORIDA.  f)63 

balky,  and  a  revolver-bullet  rolled  him  over;  but  as  we 
attempted  to  take  Mm  in,  lie  suddenly  darted  beneath  the 
boat,  and  we  could  hear  and  feel  his  teeth  splintering  the 
keel.  This  not  being  on  our  programme,  we  hauled  away 
on  the  line  until  his  head  appeared  at  the  surface,  when 
the  Doctor  dealt  him  a  heavy  blow  with  an  ax. 

We  then  hauled  him  into  the  boat,  supposing  him  to  be 
dead.  He  soon  recovered  from  the  blow,  and  seemed  to 
conclude  that  he  would  i:>addle  the  canoe  himself.  At  any 
rate,  he  did  paddle  it  with  his  huge  tail  in  a  manner  that 
threatened  instant  destruction  to  it  and  to  us.  We  would 
gladly  have  got  out  and  walked,  had  the  walking  been 
good,  but  it  was  not;  and  as  for  swimming,  there  were  so 
many  other  'Gators  in  sight  that  we  shrunk  from  the 
thought  of  escaping  in  that  way.  The  old  saurian  was 
reaching  for  me  with  his  yawning  jaws,  and  fanning  the 
Doctor  and  the  boat  with  his  tail  in  such  a  terrific  fashion 
that  it  became  necessary  for  us  to  act  i^romptly  in  self- 
defense.  I  managed  to  get  hold  of  the  ax  again,  and  this 
time  split  o\ir  passenger's  head  wide  open. 

Then  we  resumed  our  fishing,  and  soon  had  another,  a 
small  one,  not  over  four  feet  long,  which  we  took  into  the 
boat  alive,  but  again  had  to  do  some  active  hopping  to  avoid 
his  snaps.  After  dispatching  him  with  a  piece  of  "  light- 
wood,"  his  infantile  appearance  relieved  us  of  the  desire  to 
kill  any  more,  and  we  turned  homeward,  fully  persuaded 
that,  owing  to  its  weird  surroundings,  spearing  by  firelight 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  methods  of  hunting  the  Alli- 
gator. 

Having  now  tried  most  of  the  common  ways  of  approach- 
ing the  '  Gators,  still  another  remained  to  us,  and  that  was 
hunting  them  with  a  dog.  This  is  not  based  upon  the 
dog's  love  of  'Gator-hunting,  but  upon  the  'Gator's  love  of 

dog-hunting.     Now,  Doctor  A had  a  large,  worthless 

dog,  for  which  I  lacked  that  kind  regard  that  I  usually 
feel  for  worthy  members  of  his  race;  for  did  he  not  step 
quietly  up  behind  me,  one  dark  niglit,  and  by  his  sud- 
den "bow-wow- wow,"    spoken  in   close  proximity  to  my 


564  nui  gamp:  of  north  America. 

coat-tail,  cause  ine  to  sj^end  the  next  five  minutes  in  feel- 
ing around  on  my  liands  and  knees  for  a  lost  slipper  ? 

The  Doctor  readily  gave  his  consent  to  the  nse  of  Nep 
as  an  Alligator-bait,  with,  the  request  that  I  would  not 
bring  him  back.  After  the  usual  amount  of  compliments, 
such  as  "good  dogy'  "pretty  Nep,"  "fine  old  fellow," 
etc.,  had  been  addressed  to  his  dogship,  he  kindly  con- 
sented to  being  alternately  dragged,  led,  and  carried  to  the 
lake,  where  I  tied  him  to  a  bush  at  the  water's  edge,  and 
retiring  from  his  sight;  hid  in  the  bushes  where  I  could 
get  a  good  view  of  the  water. 

Nep  supposing  that  I  had  left  him,  set  up  a  series  of 
dismal  howls,  interjected  with  short,  sharp  notes,  that  for 
ear-si)littiug  qualities  could  only  be  equaled  by  a  prima 
donna.  Soon  a  few  heads,  discernible  in  the  distance, 
turned  and  began  to  move  slowly  toward  the  dog;  some  in 
a  business-like  way,  and  others  so  slowly  that  they  scarcely 
seemed  to  move  at  all.  After  reaching  the  shore,  they  swam 
back  and  forth,  casting  longing  glances  in  the  direction 
of  the  dog,  but  apparently  in  no  hurry  to  venture  uj)on 
shore  for  him. 

After  this  performance  had  been  kept  up  for  an  hour,  I 
tied  a  heavj^  stone  to  Nep,  anchored  him  in  water  up  to  his 
neck,  and  retired  to  the  shore  with  ready  rifle,  but  anxious 
to  see  as  much  of  their  method  of  attack  as  was  consistent 
with  the  safety  of  the  dog.  Xep  sniffed  the  water  sus- 
piciously, and  made  frantic  efforts  to  escape.  Soon  a  dozen 
heads  reappeared  and  moved  cautiously  toward  the  poor' 
dog,  who,  with  ears  laid  low,  lips  rigidly  contracted,  and 
wild  eyes,  was  alternately  uttering  defiant  growls  and 
terrified  yells,  altogether  presenting  a  fine  study  of  enforced 
defiance. 

One  old  'Gator  finally  approached  to  within  twenty  feet 
of  the  dog,  stopped,  and  slowly  began  to  sink,  preparatory 
to  darting  upon  the  now  frantic  Xep.  As  his  attack  was 
to  be  under  water,  this  was  as  far  as  I  dared  let  him  go; 
and  just  as  his  head  was  disappearing,  I  put  a  bullet 
tlnouuli  it.  .  .-  . 


ALLIGATOR-SiroOTIXG    IX    FLORIDA. 


5(35 


I  was  temi:)ted  to  see  the  attack  tliroiigli,  but  the  pitiable 
cries  of  the  poor  clog,  worthless  thougli  he  was,  would 
have  haunted  me  if  I  had  not  relieved  him  fiom  the  terrible 
position  in  which  I  had  purposely  placed  liim.  When  I 
waded  in  and  released  him  from  his  perilous  plight,  he 
started  for  home,  and  only  touched  the  ground  a  few  times 
&n  route. 


THE  ETHICS  OF  FIELD   SPORTS. 


By  John  Dean  Catox  and  W.  B.  Leffingwell. 


LOVE  to  leave  the  noise  and  rush  of  city  life,  where 
man  is  ever  striving  with  his  fellow-man,  and  set  my 
face  toward  the  green  wildwood,  where  Nature  reigns 
^  supreme.  Xot  alone  I  go,  but  with  one  whose  tastes 
are  congenial  with  my  own.  Aye,  not  with  one  only,  but 
with  two  or  three,  I  love  to  make  a  journey  to  some  old, 
familiar  camp-ground,  or  to  some  new  and  attractive  one, 
in  the  deepest  forest  we  can  find,  there  to  pitcli  our  tent 
beside  a  fountain  gushing  from  the  living  rock  as  if  some 
Moses  in  former  times  had  touched  it  with  his  wand.  The 
music  of  its  waters,  as  they  leap  from  rock  to  rock  on  their 
way  to  the  greater  stream  below,  has  often  soothed  to  sleep 
when  a  hard  day's  chase  has  necessitated  repose. 

In  the  morning,  at  the  break  of  day,  we  liave  climbed 
the  bluff  above  to  catch  the  music  of  the  l)irds,  whose  mel- 
ody told  of  happine:>s  and  love.  Seated  on  an  old  moss- 
clad  log,  I  love  to  watch  the  nimble  squirrels  as  they  leiip 
from  bough  to  bough,  or  chase  each  other  up  and  down  the 
old  pine-trees,  or  gather  acorns  from  the  oaks  hard  by. 
While  thus  absorbed  in  contemplation  of  these  cheery  little 
strangers,  I  liave  been  startled  l)y  the  great  antlered  buck, 
;is,  in  bounding  leaps,  he  rushed  madly  through  the  brakes, 
startled  by  the  report  of  my  friend's  rifle,  or  in  pursuit  of 
the  timid  doe.  Oh,  how  delightful  are  such  scenes!  Their 
very  remembrance  is  a  joy  renewed. 

But  it  is  not  alone  the  charms  of  solitude  that  lure  us 
from  the  haunts  of  men  to  the  wild  life  of  the  woods; 
such  scenes  are  but  episodes  in  the  hunter"  s  life.  He  seeks 
the  wilderness  or  the  mountain  in  ])ursuit  of  game.     When 

(XT  ) 


^68  HI(i    OAMK   OF    XOKTH    AMERICA. 

upon  tlie  cliase,  he  forgets  hunger  and  fatigue.  With  labo- 
rious, yet  cautious  steps,  he  follows  the  signs  that  tell  him 
there  is  game  ahead;  and  finally,  when  in  response  to  the 
echo  of  his  rifle  he  sees  the  great  quarry  plunge  forward, 
fall  upon  his  knees,  and  then  stretch  himself  upon  the 
ground,  then  it  is  that  an  exultant  thrill  flashes  through 
every  fiber  of  his  fi-ame,  so  intense  as  not  to  be  compared 
with  any  other  joy.  Then  it  is  that  he  measures  the  j)ro- 
portions  of  his  ca2)ture,  and  carefully  seeks  for  some  new 
feature  of  the  animal  to  add  to  his  store  of  knowledge. 
The  huntei'-,  above  all  others,  can  study  the  habits  of  the 
animals  he  pursues  and  captures;  and  so,  if  he  will,  may 
gather  a  fund  of  knowledge  which  will  be  of  untold  value 
to  the  scientist,  wlio  must  study  only  in  his  laboratory,  his 
library,  or  in  his  parks.  The  hunter,  who  seeks  and  takes 
the  game  in  its  native  fastnesses,  ma\'  thus,  I  say,  give  him 
valuable  assistance. 

To  most  sportsmen,  companionship  is  indispensable  to 
the  full  enjoyment  of  a  life  in  camp.  For  myself,  I  have 
ever  made  this  the  first  consideration  when  contemplating 
a  hunting  excursion.  One  disagreeable  companion  will 
jDoison  the  pleasure  of  a  trip.  One  who  is  ever  seeking 
some  advantage  over  his  associates,  and  ever  boasting  of 
his  superior  skill  and  greater  captures,  must  soon  lose 
favor  in  the  camp.  He  it  is  who  will  shirk  some  little 
duty  which  at  times  is  liable  to  fall  upon  any  member  of 
tlie  party.  If  he  discovers  a  favorable  x^ool  for  fish,  he  will 
sneak  off  by  himself,  in  the  liox^e  of  capturing  a  big  string, 
and  of  boastfully  triumphing  over  those  who  may  have 
been  less  fortunate.  If  he  happen  to  make  a  good  shot  in 
tlie  course  of  the  day,  lie  will  come  rushing  into  camx>  with 
a  loud  whoop,  fairly  swaggering  over  his  success,  and 
insisting  that  nobf)dy  ever  made  such  a  shot  before,  or  ever 
will  again.  lie  will  boast  of  it  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  with- 
out noticing  the  smile  of  contempt  which  his  auditors  can 
not  repi"ess. 

The  true  spoitsnian  enjoys  and  commends  the  success  of 
his  companions  as  much  as  his  own  achievements.     Selfish- 


THE  ETHICS   OF   FIELD   SPOUTS,  5(59 

ness  is  the  bane  of  camp  life.  The  selfish  man  is  ever  se^k- 
iug-  his  own  pleasure  and  gratification  regardless  of  otliers. 
He  appropriates  without  shame  the  best  of  everything 
within  his  reach.  He  shirks  without  scrui)le  his  sli;nv  of 
the  duties  which  devolve  upon  eadi.  without  ai)prHciaTing 
in  what  a  contemptible  light  his  conduct  is  viewed  by  otlicr 
members  of  the  party.  He  forfeits  the  respect  of  his  associ- 
ates, and  soon  contempt  takes  the  place  of  the  mutual 
respect  so  necessary  to  a  pleasant  outing. 

Egotism  is  scarcely  less  to  be  regretted  than  selfishness; 
indeed,  it  is  closely  allied  to  it.  The  egotist  is  evei'  l)oast- 
ing  of  his  own  achievements  and  belittling  those  of  others. 
The  success  of  another  affords  him  no  jileasure.  but  rnther 
mortification.  His  ambition  is  to  be  considered  superior  to 
others,  and,  to  secure  this  end,  he  will  not  liesitate  to  ])elit- 
tle  their  acts,  if  not  by  direct  words,  then  by  covert  insin- 
uations. 

Geniality  is  indispensable  to  a  happy  life  in  camp,  and 
this  is  best  promoted  when  each  one  seeks  to  gratify  tlie  sen- 
sibilities of  the  others,  by  commending  their  achievements 
rather  than  by  boasting  of  his  own.  Sportsmen  slKjuld,  above 
all  others,  cultivate  a  cordial. fraternal  feeling,  in  which  the 
liii>-hest  honor,  inteQiitv.  and  liberality  should  prevail. 

I  was  once  at  Cedar  Key,  Florida,  and  borrowing  some 
fishing-tackle,  went  down  to  an  old,  dilapid:itH(l  wharf  to 
try  my  hand  for  sea-trout,  which  I  was  told  weiv  taken  in 
those  waters.  There  I  found  an  elderly  man  fisliing.  to 
whom  I  introduced  myself.  I  told  him  I  was  fond  of  fish- 
ing, but  was  a  stranger  to  those  waters  and  to  the  sea-ti'out, 
which  I  understood  prevailed  there.  That  was  introduction 
enough.  He  kindly  offered  to  tell  me  what  he  knew  about 
them;  and,  as  he  was  short  of  l)ait,  I  gladly  supplied  him 
with  some  of  mine.  He  explained  the  uKjde  of  angling  for 
sea-trout,  and  then  proposed  that  we  go  •"cahoots."  to 
which,  of  course,  I  gladly  assented.  I  imitated  his  casts  as 
closely  as  I  could,  but  somehow  the  fish  knew  the  differ- 
ence, for  every  few  minutes  he  landed  a  fine  specimen,  after 
a  lively  run;   but  very  few  touched  mv  bait.     When   we 


570  r.IG   GAME   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

finished,  as  beautiful  a  string  of  fish  as  one  could  wish  to 
look  at  lay  upon  the  wharf,  the  sight  of  which  I  admired 
more  than  I  possibly  could  the  taste.  The  charm  was  soon 
broken  by  the  old  cord-wainer,  who  proceeded  to  divide  our 
spoils  into  two  equal  parts.  This  I  protested  should  not 
be;  but  he  said  it  was  all  right,  for  if  luck  had  favored  him 
the  most,  the  difference  was  but  very  small,  and  as  we  were 
X^artners,  I  was  entitled  to  my  half.  I  could  not  consent, 
however,  to  thus  deprive  him  of  his  game,  and  settled  the 
matter  by  picking  up  four  out  of  the  pile  of  perhaps  fifteen 
or  twenty,  and  telling  him  that  was  more  than  I  could  use. 
We  shook  hands  and  parted,  with  a  warmth  of  ff^eling 
which,  under  otlier  circumstances,  it  might  have  taken  a 
long  time  to  engender. 

I  refer  to  this  incident  to  illustrate  the  feeling  and 
friendship  which  should  always  prevail  among  sportsmen, 
whether  hunting  or  fishing.  He  was  a  man  after  my  own 
heart,  and  I  only  regret  that  opportunity  never  permitted 
me  to  meet  him  again.  He  had  a  great  heart,  and  between 
us  there  at  once  grew  up  a  fraternal  feeling;  a  cord  of  sym- 
pathy was  drawn  out  between  us  which  made  us  brothers, 
and  would  have  prompted  us  to  make  great  sacrifices  for 
each  other,  if  need  had  been.  Would  that  all  sportsmen 
could  thus  feel  and  act  toward  each  other. 

Good-feeling  is  indispensable  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
sportsman's  life.  Cordiality  alone  can  make  it  enjoyable. 
Selfishness  and  egotism  beget  dislike;  harmony  begets  cor- 
diality; discord  engenders,  dislike,  which  not  unfrequently 
degenerates  to  hatred. 

Allowance  may  be  made  for  the  enthusiasm  of  the  neo- 
l")hyte,  and  even  approval  of  it;  for  who  will  ever  forget  the 
exultation  which  he  himself  felt  when  he  saw  his  first  Beer 
fall  to  his  rifie  \  Had  he  not  felt  exultant  then,  it  would 
have  bespoken  a  lack  of  spirit,  which  one  needs  to  become 
a  sportsman;  nor  will  he  ever  cease  to  feel  a  high  degree  of 
gratification  at  the  moment  of  a  successful  capture.  But 
to  exult  in  this  to  the  disparagement  and  discomfort  of 
one's  companions  is  what  I  wish  to  discourage. 


THE  ETHICS   OF   FIELD   SPOUTS.  571 

A  mere  love  of  slaughter  does  not  bespeak  a  sportsman; 
that  feeling  might  be  better  gratified  in  the  abattoir  than  in 
the  woods.  No  matter  how  al)undant  the  game,  none  but  a 
brute  would  ever  kill  it  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  killing, 
and  leave  it  to  rot  on  the  ground.  The  feeling  of  utility 
must  be  associated  with  its  capture.  If  it  can  not  be  util- 
ized, a  pang  of  regret  must  take  the  place  of  gratification, 
in  the  breast  of  a  true  sportsman,  when  he  sees  his  game  laid 
prone  before  him;  and  how  glad  would  he  be  were  it  alivp, 
and  bounding  away  through  the  woods  or  over  the  j)i'airie! 

The  true  sportsman's  camp  is  a  school  for  the  young 
beginner,  where  he  may  learn  many  things  besides  the  mode 
of  pursuing  and  capturing  his  game.  If  he  })e  fortunate 
in  selecting  his  associates  in  his  early  outings,  he  will  learn 
many  things,  besides  the  mode  of  hunting,  which  will  con- 
tribute largely  to  the  i^leasure  of  his  life  in  after  years. 
He  will  learn  how  largely  acts  of  kindness  and  courtesy 
toward  his  companions  contribute  to  the  happiness  of  all; 
to  commend  the  skill  of  others  rather  than  to  boast  of  his 
own;  to  strike  or  pitch  a  tent;  how  to  dress  liis  game;  to 
cook  a  meal,  when  occasion  shall  require;  and  a  thousand 
other  things  which  need  not  be  mentioned  here.  lie  will 
learn  that  a  sportsman  may  be  a  gentleman,  and  indeed 
should  be,  if  he  would  make  himself  agreeable  to  his  com- 
panions, and  contribute  his  share  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
excursion. 

The  true  sportsman  does  not  hunt  solely  for  game,  but 
for  the  pleasure  it  affords  him,  for  liealth,  and  to  rest  him- 
self from  the  toil  of  business.  In  this  he  is  rarely  disap- 
pointed. Look  about  you  and  see  what  a  large  proportion 
of  those  who  have,  each  year,  torn  themselves  from  busi- 
ness, and  spent  a  few  weeks  in  the  hunter's  camp,  or  on  the 
banks  of  streams,  enjoy  robust  health,  even  in  advanced 
age.  Their  systems,  when  young,  become  well  knit  togetlier, 
their  constitutions  greatly  strengthened,  and  so  they  are 
enal)led  to  perform  more  labor,  and  with  less  fatigue,  than 
those  who  lack  the  energy  or  the  inclination  to  leave  their 
common  avocations  and  seek  much-needed  rest. 


672  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

I  speak  not  now  of  those  who  Imnt  for  game  only,  for, 
as  a  general  rule,  they  have  no  business,  which  could 
fatigue  their  minds,  at  least,  if  they  have  minds  to  be 
fatigued.  If  they  would  devote  the  same  effort  to  some 
other  lionest  pursuit,  their  gains  would  be  vastly  greater, 
taking  tlie  season  through.  That  class  of  men  have  always 
been  called  shiftless,  and  have  lacked  that  degree  of 
respectability  for  which  all  honest  men  should  strive. 

I  regret  that  there  are  some  who  aspire  to  the  name  of 
sportsmen,  who,  on  occasion,  fall  ])eneath  that  rank.  I 
refer  now  to  those  who  do  not  hesitate  to  shoot  game 
or  take  fish  out  of  season.  In  a  wild  and  uninhabited 
or  sparsely  settled  country,  where  the  streams  are  swarm- 
ing with  tish,  which  are  never  taken  because  there  is  no 
one  there  to  take  them,  or  in  the  far-distant  wilds,  where 
an  abundance  of  game  is  found,  which  is  rarely  hunted, 
game  laws  would  be  out  of  place;  and  so  it  would  be  quite 
proper  at  any  time  of  the  year  to  take  as  much  meat,  or  as 
man}'  fish,  as  one's  necessities  might  require — but  even 
then,  to  capture  more  than  could  be  utilized  would  be  to 
indulge  a  brutish  and  unmanly  instinct.  But  in  countries 
where  civilization  has.  to  a  large  extent,  driven  off  the  wild 
animals  or  game  birds,  all  right-thinking  men  must  appre- 
ciate the  necessity  for  laws  to  protect  them  from  extermi- 
nation; and  these  laws  have  just  as  binding  a  force  upon 
every  citizen  as  that  law  which  saj's  "Thou  shalt  not 
steal.'"  At  least,  such  is  its  legal  obligation,  and  so, 
indeed,  should  it  be  binding  morally.  No  game  law  can 
ever  be  framed  which  will  meet  the  approval  of  all;  and  if 
one  man  says  that  he  thinks  that  the  close  season  com- 
mences too  earl 3',  and  therefore  he  will  not  observe  it, 
another  may,  with  equal  propriety,  claim  that  there  should 
lie  no  law  which  would  prevent  him  from  shooting  game 
animals  wlien  he  pleases — his  father,  fift\^  years  ago,  shot 
all  he  wanted,  and  why  should  he  not  enjoy  the  same  right? 

He  forgets  tliat  conditions  are  changed,  and  he  must 
admit  that  it  would  be  very  unwise  to  exterminate  all  our 
game  birds  and  animals;  and  yet,  unless  he  and  his  like 


THE   ETillCS   OF    FIELD   spuHTS.  573 

are  restrained,  utter  extermination  must  soon  follow  in 
those  countries  where  game  is  beginning  to  grow  scarce. 
The  wild  animals  in  any  country  belong  to  the  State,  and  it 
is  only  by  sufferance  tiiat  the  State  allows  anyone  to  kill 
them;  hence  the  right  of  the  commonwealth  to  protect  the 
•wild  animals  within  its  borders  is  as  unquestioned  as  is 
its  right  to  protect  its  treasure  in  its  vaults. 

On  this  important  subject,  civilization  may  learn  some- 
thing valuable  from  savage  life.  When  the  great  prairies 
were  lirst  visited  by  the  white  man,  they  fairly  swanned 
with  great  herds  of  Bison,  and  so  they  continued  till  they 
were  exterminated  by  the  white  man's  rifle.  As  late  as 
1840,  I  saw  large  collections  of  their  bones  on  the  Illinois 
prairies,  still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation;  and  two  miles 
up  the  south  branch  of  the  Chicago  River,  at  a  [ilace  now 
within  the  heart  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  for  more  than  half 
a  mile  the  whole  surface  of  the  ground  was  covered  with 
Buffalo-w^allows,  so  that  it  was  difficult  to  drive  a  wagon, 
excei^t  at  a  very  slow  rate,  over  the  surface.  Other  large 
game  was  equally  abundant  throughout  this  gieat  valley  at 
an  early  day.  and  so  it  had  undoubtedly  been  for  untold 
ages.  During  all  this  time,  large  tril)es  of  Indians  inhab- 
ited every  part  of  it.  whose  principal  subsistence  was  the 
game  they  killed  and  the  fish  they  caught;  but  tliey  wasted 
none,  the}'  only  killed  to  supply  their  wants,  and  the 
result  was  that  the  game  was  never  depleted,  but  continued 
as  abundant  year  after  year,  and  century  after  century, 
as  it  had  ever  been.  While  this  could  not  continue 
in  a  country  densely  settled  by  civilized  man.  there 
are  large  districts  of  country  where  the  conditions  are 
such  as  to  be  well  adapted  to  the  well-being  of  every 
species  of  wild  animal  known  to  the  country,  if  the 
white  man,  who  seeks  them,  Avould  only  kill  enough  to 
sui^ply  his  wants.  The  smaller  game,  such  as  grouse  and 
water-fowl,  are  still  with  us,  and  would  be  in  great  abun- 
dance forever,  were  they  l)ut  reasonably  protected,  and  no 
more  killed  than  enough  to  supply  the  legitimate  needs  of 
those  who  hunt  them,  and  at  the  pr<)i)er  seasons.     Let  us, 


574  BIG   (iAME   OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

I  say,  learn  a  lesson  from  the  Indians  who  preceded  us,  and 
not  extend  our  slaughter  beyond  reasonable  limits.  If  we 
will  not  spare  the  game  from  choice,  then  society  must 
interpose,  and  compel  us  to  do  what  w^e  should  do  volun- 
tarily. Imagine  a  country  entirely  destitute  of  wild  ani- 
mals, where  all  the  native  fauna  have  become  extinct,  and 
to  most  men  it  would  seem  like  a  desert,  many  of  its 
choicest  charms  would  be  gone,  and  it  would  become  the 
most  fitting  abode  for  the  miser,  whose  happiness  consists 
in  counting  his  gold. 

When  the  wdiite  man  drove  the  Bison  beyond  the  Mis- 
souri River,  it  gathered  in  countless  herds  on  the  great 
plains  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  filled  the  country 
from  Texas  to  the  Saskatchewan.  But  twenty  years  ago 
that  whole  country  was  covered  with  the  Bison,  in  numbers 
almost  beyond  computation,  and  there  was  the  grandest 
hunting-ground  ever  known  in  an}'  part  of  the  world.  So 
great  were  their  numbers  that  it  was  thought  they  never 
could  be  exterminated;  and  yet,  a  single  score  of  years  has 
sufficed  to  blot  them  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  with  but 
very  few  exceptions.  Had  Congress  done  its  duty,  and 
stretched  out  its  arm  to  protect  this,  .the  grandest  game 
animal  in  the  world,  we  should  now  have  a  preserve  wiiicli 
would  be  the  boast  of  every  true  American;  but  it  is  too 
late  now — that  great  opportunity  is  forever  gone.  A  few 
may  be  preserved  in  the  Yellowstone  Park,  but  only 
enough  for  specimens;  the  area  is  too  limited  for  more. 
Other  large  game  may  be  there  preserved,  but  only  to  the 
same  extent.  Had  the  Government  acted  upon  General 
Sheridan's  recommendation,  made  some  years  ago,  to  greatly 
enlarge  that  park  by  the  addition  of  a  mountain  district 
adjoining  it,  which  can  never  be  useful  for  any  other  pur- 
pose, then  indeed  we  might  in  time  have  had  a  collection  of 
wikl  animals  peculiar  to  our  countr}',  approximating,  at 
least,  their  condition  in  a  wild  state. 

Had  each  white  man  who  went  to  hunt  the  Buffalo  been 
as  reasonable  in  his  tastes  as  the  ignorant  red  man;  had  he 
killed  to  supply  his  reasonable  wants,  and  no  more— law  or 


THE    ETHICS    OF    ITKLD    Sl'Oins.  575 

no  111 w— we  should  yet  luive  had  the  great  heid«  of  Bison. 
Would  all  men  do  so  from  this  time  on,  we  should  always 
have  Elk,  Deer,  Moose,  and  Caribou.  But  if  men  continue 
to  kill  everything  they  can  reach  with  their  lead,  whether 
they  need  it  or  not;  if  men  are  allowed  to  hunt  for  the 
market  and  for  simply  the  skins  of  these  noble  animals, 
then  all  of  them  will  soon  be  extinct. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  beseech  all  sportsmen  to  maintain 
the  dignity  of  the  craft  to  which  they  belong,  and  to  exert 
all  their  influence  to  elevate  the  standing  of  tliat  craft  and 
to  preserve  our  game  and  flslies.  j    y.    ,, 


Let  any  man  wander  through  the  forests,  and  let  there 
come  wafted  to  his  ears,  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  sweet 
melody  from  the  throat  of  some  feathered  songster;  let 
him  trace,  through  tlie  ambrosial  leaves,  the  secreted 
place  of  his  serenader;  yet,  when  he  sees  the  bird,  he  may 
not  behold  one  resplendent  in  brilliant  colors,  clothed  in 
gaudy  raiment,  cloaked  with  feathers  dazzling  in  their 
sweeping  or  trailing  beauty,  but  rather  one  modest  in 
appearance,  subdued  in  colorings,  but  whose  lack  of  luster 
is  more  than  balanced  by  the  heavenly  nuisic  that  warbles 
and  tremors,  that  pipes  and  is  lost  in  mournful  cadence  as 
its  flute-like  tones  vibrate  and  thrill  deliciously  through  the 
woods.  So  it  is  with  man.  Clothing  does  not  make  a  gentle- 
man; gentility,  if  he  possess  it,  is  born  and  l)red  in  him,  and 
asserts  itself  unsolicited;  is  ever  on  the  surface,  and,  like 
the  gurgling  spring,  bubbles  forth  and  is  never-ending. 

We  are  nearly  all  more  or  less  barbarians,  not  in  the 
sense  of  lacking  enlightenment  and  rejoicing  in  the  fruits 
of  civilization,  but  in  our  love  for  out-of-door  life  and  the 
sports  of  the  field;  and  when  I  find  a  man  who  is  not  easily 
drawn  toward  the  pleasures  of  the  field:  who  does  not 
rejoice  in  the  opportunity  to  walk  forth  and  commune  with 
Nature;  who  does  not  love  to  follow  the  l)anks  of  some 
winding  stream,  and  tempt  the  trout  or  the  gamy  bass  with 
his  alluring  bait;  or  to  follow  the  baying  hounds  as  they 


670  HIO   <iA.ME   OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

lea])  from  crag  to  crag,  rusliing  through  the  dells,  over  hill 
and  dale,  in  the  thickets,  or  in  the  tall  prairie-grass;  or  in 
milder  sports,  with  faithful  Setter  and  armed  with  light  and 
easy-hanging  gun,  to  seek  the  woodcock  among  the  alders 
and  brakes,  or  the  confiding  quail  on  the  golden  stubble — 
when  I  find  a  man  wiio  does  not  love  these  pastimes,  it 
seems  to  me  that  Nature  has  been  derelict,  and  has  neg- 
lected to  engraft  into  his  being  the  highest  attributes  of 
manhood. 

Not  love  Nature  ? — the  flowing  streams,  the  placid  lake, 
the  waving  prairie,  the  majestic  forest,  the  grand,  towering 
mountain,  the  sublime,  peaceful  valley  ?  When  a  man  can 
say,  trulj%  that  the  cares  of  business  have  w^eaned  him  from 
the  love  of  these  things,  then  the  longing  for  wealth,  its 
power  and  influence,  has  torn  from  him  the  enjoyment  of 
some  of  the  greatest  blessings  of  our  life.  We  often  wish 
some  dear  friend  or  some  honored  guest,  as  he  bids  us  good- 
bye after  having  favored  us  with  his  companionship  for  a 
time,  health,  wealth,  and  prosperity;  but  the  greatest  bless- 
ing we  could  bestow  on  him,  had  we  the  power,  would  be 
perfect  health.  Yet  it  is  within  tlie  province  of  nearly  every 
man  to  possess  it,  if  he  will.  It  is  not  to  be  found  in  the 
shop,  the  office,  the  store,  or  beneath  the  roof  of  buildings 
made  by  man;  it  can  be  realized  in  its  entirety  only  in  the 
open  flelds,  in  the  forests,  on  the  streams,  when  the  earth  is 
bathed  in  sunshine,  or  Avhen  the  Goddess  of  Night  casts  her 
mantle  over  tired  Nature,  and  kisses  to  rest  the  departed 
da}',  breathing  into  her  sleeping  form  the  sweet  incense  of 
renewed  life,  as  .she  bathes  the  verdure  with  her  tears  of 
dew  which  gladden  our  existence. 

A  selflsli  person  we  despise;  but  he  who  loves  the  fresh- 
ness of  the  fields  is  not.  nor  ever  will  be,  selfish.  There  is 
a  cliarm  which  seems  to  dwrll  in  the  balsam  of  the  firs,  in 
the  purity  of  the  fields,  in  the  odor  of  the  flowers,  which 
dcscf-iids  from  the  blue  vault  of  heaven  by  day  and  lingers 
through  the  starry  night,  forever  ennobling  and  enriching 
the  lieai't  of  him  who  loves  the  fields.  You  saj^  of  him,  he 
loves  dogs  or  liorses.     Sliow  me  tiie  man  wdio  does,  and  I 


THE  ETIIIO«   OF  FIELD   SPORTS.  577 

will  see  in  my  presence  one  who  is  kind,  generous,  and 
brave;  for  one  can  not  love  animals  and  delight  in  their 
companionship  without  learning  from  them  lessons  of 
unsellishness,  and  without  becoming  himself  the  soul  of 
generosity.  Still,  we  must  admit,  reluctantly,  that  there 
are  exceptions  to  this  as  well  as  to  all  other  rules,  and  we 
would  not  conceal  the  fact  that  there  are  so-called  sports- 
men who  are  sellish.  These  exceptions  simply  prove  the 
rule  we  have  stated. 

As  at  times  that  which  seems  most  perfect  in  appearan(;e 
is  sullied  with  hidden  defects,  so  it  is  with  some  si)ortsmen. 
It  often  takes  years,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business  or 
social  life,  to  find  out  a  man's  true  nature;  but  if  you  will 
but  camp  with  him,  hunt  with  him,  or  tram})  with  him,  on 
some  nomadic  excursion  for  a  few  weeks,  his  real  character 
will  become  as  open  and  plain  to  read  and  to  understand 
as  an  open  book  when  the  day  is  at  its  brightest. 

Were  I  to  invite  you  to  my  house,  you  would  be  an  hon- 
ored guest.  All  the  sources  within  my  X)ower,  so  far  as  my 
means  might  permit,  would  be  brought  forward  in  order  to 
make  you  feel  that  you  were  welcome,  and  that  my  aim 
and  desire  were  merely  the  gratification  of  your  pleasures. 
The  liospitality  which  one  friend  so  gladly  extends  to 
another,  you  would  expect,  and  I  would  accord  you.  Sup- 
pose, however,  I  broaden  the  invitation,  and,  instead  of 
inviting  you  to  my  house,  solicit  you  to  enjoy,  as  my  guest, 
the  i)leasures  of  my  fields.  Should  there  be  a  distinction 
in  my  manner  of  treatment  of  you,  as  between  my  house 
and  my  fields^  Most  assuredly  not.  Yet  I  have  been 
received  with  the  greatest  cordiality  at  a  man's  house,  who 
left  me  under  many  o])ligations  to  him  as  I  bade  him  good- 
night, but  who  has  chilled  me,  and  canceled  all  the  kindly 
feeling  I  had  for  him,  by  his  seliishness  on  the  following 
day.  Taking  me  to  fields  where  game  was  i)lentiful,  he  has 
shot  throughout  the  day,  taking  first  choice  of  ground  and 
of  shots  on  all  occasions,  apparently  without  the  least  com- 
punction of  conscience,  regardless  of  all  etiquette  or  com- 
mon decency. 

37 


678  BIG   GAME   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 

If  you  were  my  g'uest,  my  desire  woukl  be  to  make  your 
visit  a  pleasant  one;  it  would  uiake  no  difference  whether 
at  home  or  alield.  Were  I  to  seat  you  at  my  table,  then 
help  mysell"  before  offering  you  the  choicest  before  us,  you 
would  rightly  consider  me  a  boor.  Yet  some  men,  who  pro- 
fess t(j  be  si^ortsmen,  and  who  would  show  no  such  ill- 
breeding  at  their  table,  will,  in  their  shooting,  rob  their 
guest  of  his  shots  regardless  of  the  birds'  ffight.  Then,  at 
the  close  of  the  day's  sport,  after  having  acted  the  part  of 
the  swine  in  picking  out  the  choicest  ground  for  themselves, 
and  shooting  birds  that  did  not  belong  to  them  under  the 
rules  of  the  field,  and  that  they  knew  would  have  been 
bagged  by  their  guest,  they  will  boast  to  some  country 
bumpkin  of  how  they  killed  "twiced  as  many  as  the  other 
feller,  who  is  considered  a  mighty  good  shot." 

I  know  of  jio  one  so  despicable  to  hunt  with  as  such  a 
man;  and  yet,  linked  to  him  in  the  closest  alliance  is  the 
one  who  fires  at  every  bird,  and  constantly  claims  that  he 
kills  each  one  that  falls.  There  is  nothing  more  disgusting 
than  this;  and  when  a  gentleman  is  unwittingly  found  in 
the  comi)any  of  sucli  a  man,  the  day  is  spoiled  for  him. 
lie  wonders  w^hat  he  has  done  that  a  punishment  so  hard  to 
endure  should  have  been  inflicted  on  him. 

The  fields  may  be  broad,  the  space  unbounded  wherein 
to  hunt,  and  yet  there  is  ntither  breadth  nor  depth  enough 
to  any  field  to  justify  a  gentleman  sportsman  in  shooting  in 
company  with  such  a  man. 

When  a  man  claims  the  killing  of  a  bird  at  which  both 
he  and  his  companion  have  fired,  the  claimant  not  only 
shows  his  selfishness,  his  lack  of  gentlemanly  qualities,  but 
shows  his  lack  of  confidence  in  his  own  skill.  The  crack- 
shot  doesn't  need  to  claim  his  bird,  for  when  the  trigger  is 
pulled,  it  seems  to  him  that  he  intuitively  sees  the  charge 
of  shot  reach  its  intended  mark,  notes  its  efl'ect,  and  knows 
whellicr  or  not  he  has  bagged  the  bird;  therefore,  the  true 
si)()rtsnian  will  not  claim  the  bird  under  sucli  cii'cumstances, 
and  will  say  nolliing;  or,  if  with  a  younger  and  more  inex- 
perienced companion,  will  insist  that  his  comrade  made  the 


The  KTirios  of  field  spouts.  57!) 

successful  shot,  and  that  liis  own  aim  was  uutiiu'.  It  is 
such  trivial  acts  of  sell'-dtmial  and  <^en(M'()sity  that  endears 
to  the  hearts  of  inexixnienced  shots  th(^ir  nion^  slvillful  and 
experienced  brotliers. 

Wlien  a  sportsman  sliows  tlie  court-esies  in  tlie  field, 
which  he  should  do  unsolicited,  and  with  pndt;  and  i>leas- 
uie,  he  is  entitled  to  no  reward  for  merit,  l)ut  sim})ly  car- 
ries out  the  lessons  of  unselhsliness  which  his  association 
with  Nature  and  with  gentlemen  has  tauglit  him. 

When  you  invite  a  friend  to  he  youi-  guest  on  a  hunting 
or  fishing  trip,  you  honor  yourself  with  his  presence.  Your 
path  is  plainly  before  you,  and  leads  in  only  one  direction. 
It  is  plainly  your  duty  to  make  the  day  one  of  the  happiest 
possible  for  him.  IIow  best  to  do  this,  the  circumstances 
of  the  case  and  your  own  gentlemanly  instincts  should 
teach  you.  You  should  insist  on  his  accepting  the  first 
shot;  and  if  he  should  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  miss,  don't 
add  to  his  chagrin  l)y  trying  to  bag  the  bird  before  he  has 
iiV(H\  his  sec<md  barrel,  but  let  him  shoot  again,  l^etter  let 
the  l)ird  go  free  than  violab?  t\u^  coui'tesies  of  the  craft. 

As  you  enter  the  field  with  him,  tell  him  he  is  to  shoot 
first;  then,  x^lfU'ing  him  at  your  left — because  most  men  can 
shoot  better  at  left-quartering  birds-tell  him  you  will  take 
turns  \vith  him  on  straight-away  birds,  but  he  is  to  fire  at 
those  going  to  the  left,  while  you  will  take  those  going  to 
the  right.  Should  it  happcMi  that  most  of  the  birds  tly  to 
the  right,  exchange  places,  or  insist  that  he  take  every  alter- 
nate shot  going  to  the  right.  Human  life  is  like  a  piece  of 
machinery  -they  both  need  the  best  of  oil  to  make  them 
work  smoothly  and  successfully;  and  there  is  nothing 
which  attains  its  end  with  a  man  so  effectually  as  gentle, 
unobtrusive,  thoughtful  preferences  which  are  delicately 
thrust  upon  him.  They  may  be  small.  Imt  they  show  that 
a  man's  heart  is  right;  and  l)y  showing  your  guest  such 
attentions  and  courtesies,  even  for  a  day.  y(ju  make  him 
your  friend  for  life. 

The  old  saying,  that  "Two  is  company,  and  three  is  a 
crowd,"    is   true  here;    for,   in   upland  shooting,    f)ut  two 


580  ni(}   OAME   OF    NORTH    AMERIOA. 

shoiikl  hunt  together.  AVliere  thero  are  more  than  two 
shootin<j^  over  the  same  dog,  or  pair  of  dogs,  it  causes  con- 
fusion to  th«^  liunters,  excites  the  dogs,  and  smacks  too 
strcmgly  of  game  extermination. 

It  woukl  l)e  impossible  to  live  up  to  the  rules  of  field 
eticpiette  were  we  to  indulge  in  club-liun^s.  They  ought 
not  to  be  called  club  hunts,  but,  rather,  extermination 
hunts;  for  this  is  the  effect,  although  not  primarily  the 
object  of  them.  I  am  opposed  to  the  congregating  of  indi- 
viduals for  the  puri)ose  of  choosing  sides,  then  hunting  and 
declaring  the  winners  on  a  score  of  points,  on  game  of  any 
kind.  No  matter  how  honest  a  man's  intentions  are,  if  he 
allows  himself  to  join  these  destructive  forces,  he  lowers 
himself  to  their  level,  and  in  his  anxiety  that  his  side  shall 
win,  may  stoop  to  secure  game  by  unsi)ortsmanlike  methods. 

Let  him  see  a  covey  of  quails  on  the  ground,  and  he  is 
extremely  lia])le  to  forget  for  the  moment  his  love  of  legiti- 
mate sport,  his  desire  to  give  each  bii'd  a  chance  for  its  life, 
and  to  fire  at  the  covey.  He  x>icks  up  the  result  of  his  pot- 
shot, looks  guiltily  around,  then  secretly  congratulates 
himself  on  the  number  of  "points"  gained.  When  a  man 
allows  the  element  of  profit  to  enter  into  the  day's  hunt, 
avarice,  greed,  and  the  desire  for  a  big  bag  cloud  the  mind, 
dull  the  conscience  and  the  beauties  of  Nature,  and  the 
jiroper  love  for  field  sports  are  for  the  time  forgotten-  -the 
hunter  is  converted  into  a  mercenary  creature  who  deserves 
the  contemi)t  of  honorable  sportsmen.  The  same  precepts 
and  principles  here  declared  as  to  the  shooting  of  feathered 
game,  apply  with  equal  force  to  the  hunting  of  Big  Game 
or  the  taking  of  fish. 

Our  game,  both  large  and  small,  is  fast  disappearing, 
and  our  attention  should  at  all  times  be  directed  to  its  pres- 
ervati(m.  The  true  sportsman  will  limit  himself  to  a 
decent-sized  bag,  whether  the  law  of  the  State  wherein  he 
shoots  requires  this  or  not;  and  when  he  has  kilh^l  sufficient 
for  hims<^lf  and  fi'ieuds,  will  cease  lo  shoot,  even  though 
there  ])e  whole  Toveys  of  birds,  or  whole  herds  of  Elk  or 
Deer,  still  in  sight. 


THE    ETHICS   OF   FIELD   SPORTS. 


681 


I  have  neither  the  space  nor  desire  to  enter  into  an  ehib- 
orate  discourse,  giving  advice  to  young  men  as  to  their 
duties  afield;  but  a  gentleman  is  the  same  in  the  field  as  in 
the  drawing-room,  and  when  a  man  is  found  who  is  selfish 
in  the  field,  depend  upon  it  he  is  so  elsewhere,  and  in  busi- 
ness-life will  pit)ve  decidedly  unpleasant  to  deal  with. 

Many  of  our  greatest  minds  have  found  steadfast  and 
undying  friendship  among  children  of  the  forest;  nntanght 
they  were,  and  deprived  of  ordinary  educational  advantages 
— but  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness,  and  the  purity  of  the 
untainted  and  unpolluted  fields  and  streams,  imbued  them 
with  honesty,  generosity,  and  freedom  from  deceit.  Tlie 
sportsman,  then,  will  find  his  greatest  happiness  in  the 
open  air,  and  his  life  will  be  prolonged  and  bettered  for  it; 
and  as  he  wanders  through  some  shady  dell,  and  feels  and 
knows  he  is  alone,  he  notes  the  golden  l)ars  of  sunlight 
streaming  through  the  clustering  leaves,  seats  himself 
beside  some  gurgling  l)rook,  and  as  the  birds  sing  sweetly 
to  him,  soliloquizes:  "Nature  never  did  betray  the  heart 
that  loved  her.  '  Tis  her  privilege  through  all  the  yeai's  of 
this,  our  life,  to  lead  from  Joy  to  joy;  for  she  can  so  inform 
the  mind  that  is  within  us,  so  impress  with  quietness  and 
beauty,  and  so  feed  Avith  lofty  thoughts,  that  neither  evil 
tongues,  rash  judgments,  nor  the  sneers  of  selfish  men,  nor 
greetings  where  no  kindness  is,  nor  all  the  di'eary  inter- 
course of  daily  life,  shall  e'er  prevail  against  us,  or  disturb 
our   cheerful   faith   that  all  which   we   behold   is   full   of 


blessings. 


W.  B.  L. 


ilTinchester 


Repeating  Rifles 

Single  Shot  Rifles 


Repeating  Shot  Guns 


M0D£:L    1886 


AMMUNITION 


OF    EVERY     DESCRIPTION. 


For   Sale   Everywhere. 


For    Eighty-page    Illustrated    Catalogue,    send    to 

Winchester  Repeating  Arms  Co. 

NEW    HAVEN,    CONN. 


THE    CELEBRATED 


Have  Broken  all  Records  for  Revolver  Shooting. 


.j™^-, — if"^. 


THE    MOST 


Perfect  Small  Arms 

EVER    MANUFACTURED. 

Unrivaled  in  Beauty  of  Finish,  Duraliiiity.^  Accuracy. 


Manufactured  in  .32,  .38,  and  .44-100.  Single  and  Double 
Action  Ilainnierless  Safety  and  Target  Models,  with  all  latest 
improvements — Automatic  Shell  Extractor,  Rebounding  Lock,  and 
Patented  Safety  Device. 

The  Smith  &  Wesson  Revolvers  are  constructed  entirely  of  best 
wrought  steel,  carefully  inspected  for  workmanship  and  stock, 
and  (iUARAXTEEl).  Do  not  ])e  deceived  hy  IMITATIONS 
largely  manufactured  of  malleable  cast  iron,  and  often  s(dd  for 
the  genuine  Smith  &  Wesson.  All  the  Revolvers  of  this  lirni  are 
stamped  ui)on  the  barrels  with  their  name,  address,  and  dates  of 
patents. 

If  dealer  can  not  supjily  you,  orders  sent  to  address  below  will 
receive  ])rompt  and  careful  attention.  Catalogues  and  prices 
furnished  upon  application. 

SMITH  &  WESSON, 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASS. 


H.  W.  JENNEY,  President. 


C.  L.  GRAHAM,  Sec'y  and  Treas. 


^ 


BOATS, 

TENTS, 

SEINES, 

NETS, 

LAWN 

TENNIS, 


HUNTING   EQUIPMENTS, 

SPORTING  GOODS 

FINE  ANGLING  OUTFITS. 


RODS, 

REELS, 

LINES, 

BAITS, 

BASE 

BALL 

GOODS. 


Leffiver  Hainmerless  fioiis. 


The  beat  tiap  and  field  Gun  made.    It  -will  cut-shoot  all  others;  is  simpler 
in  construe  ion  and  more  durable. 


A  COMPLETE   LINE  OF   AMERICAN   AND   FOREIGN   GUNS 

Of  every  standard  make.    W.  &   C.  Scott   &   Sons'    Premier  Hanimerless; 
Colts'   Hammeriess;  Diana   Hammerless;  Davis'  Hammerless. 

DALY  THREE-BARREL, 

l^arlcer,  Itliaoa^,  Boiieliill,  Reniing'toii  a,ucl  otliex*s 


Winchester,  Marlin,  Ballafd,  Stevens  and  all  Modem  flilles 


Peters'  Loaded  Shells 

Penetration  Increased,  Pattern  Improved,  Recoil  Diminished, 
Fou  ing  Prevented. 

JENNEY  &;  GRAHAM  GUN  CO., 

1 02    Madison    St.,  CHICAGO. 

SEND  FOR  CATALOGUE.  ' 


At  the  annual  tournament  of  1RS9,  held  at  Cannes,  France,  the  ffrand 
prize,  consisting  of  2.000  Francs  and  a  valuable  cup,  was  won  with  the 
Parker  Hammerless. 

The  first  Parker  Hammerless  Gun  made  won  the  championship  of 
America  at  Decatur,  111. 

Send  for  illustrated  circular. 


PARKER  BROS.,  Makers,  MERIDEN,  CONN. 

NEW   YORK  SALESROOM,  97   CHAMBERS   ST. 

BOOKS  BY  T.  S.  VAN  DYKE, 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORIA. 

Its  Valleys,  Hills,  and  Streams.        Its  Animals,  Birds,  and  Fishes. 
Its  Gardens,  Farms,  and  Climate. 

A  fall  description  of  Southern  California,  with  all  its  attractions,  drawbacks,  and  pectili- 
arities,  and  its  leading  Flora  and  Fauna.    2^3  pages.    Price,  $1.50. 


The  Rifle.  Rod,  and  Gun  in  California 

A  f  ;11  descriptive  sketch  of  the  principal  out-of-door  amusements  of  Southern  California, 
and  especially  of  San  Diego  County,  its  climate,  scenery,  etc.    299  pages.    Price,  $1-50. 


THE  STILL  HUNTER. 

An  analytical  treatise  on  American  deer  hunting,  and  the  use  of  the  rifle  m  the  field.   With 
a  full  description  of  the  deer  hunting  of  San  Diego  County.    390  pages.    Price,  $2.00. 


All  the   above   books   are  published  by  Ford,  Howard  &"Hulbert, 
New  York  City.      For  sale  by  the  trade  generally. 


CALIFORNIA 


S  REACHED  in  the  most  comfortable  manner  through 
I    Chicago  and  thence  over  "THE  SANTA  F^  ROUTE." 

This  is  the  most  comfortable  route  ))y  reason  of  the  fact 
I  at  every  day  through  cars  are  run  from  Chicago  to 
Los  Angeles,  and  from  Chicago  t-o  San  Francisco  without 
change,  and  because  it  Ls  the  only  ^route  over  which  such 
accommodations  can  be  secured. 

It  is  the  most  comfortable  because  of  Its  superb  passen- 
ger acconmiodations,  and  because  it  takes  Twenty-seven 
Hours  less  time  to  go  from  Cliicago  to  Los  Angeles  or 
San  Diejjo  over  the  Santa  Fe  Route  than  over  any  other. 
This  you  can  demonstrate  by  comparing  our  time  card 
with  that  of  other  lines. 

It  is  decidedly  the  most  preferable  route  for  winter 
travel,  as  it  is  far  enough  south  to  avoid  the  delaj's  caused 
by  snow  and  extreme  cold  exj>erienceil  on  more  northerly 
routes,  and  in  the  summer  it  is  the  pleasantest  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  the  solid  roadway  of  the  Santa  Fe  Route 
gives  off  little  or  no  du.st,  and  the  time  of  the  journey  to 
Southern  CaUfornia  is  so  much  less  than  on  other  lines. 

The  serWce  in  the  Dining  Cars  and  in  the  Dining  Rooms 
along  the  Santa  Fe  Route  is  an  added  attraction,  as  on  such 
a  long  journey  a  person  desires  projierly  prejiared  food, 
and  it  is  assured  on  this  line. 

The  scenes  along  the  Santa  Fe  Route  are  the  most 
diversified  in  the  United  States.  Begiiming  at  Chicago,  the 
most  modem  of  the  cities  of  the  world,  it  pa.sses  through 
Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Colorado,  New  Mexico, 
and  Arizona  to  California. 

For  those  desiring  to  go  to  California,  through  Pueblo, 
Colorado  Springs,  and  Denver,  the  Santa  Fe  Route  is  also 
the  most  desirable,  as  its  ovm  tracks  extend  from  Chicago 
to  all  of  those  cities  and  connect  in  luiion  dejwts  with 
trains  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  and  other  lines  west 
from  the  cities  named. 

W.  F.  WHITE,  JNO.  J.  BYBITS, 

Pass'r  Traffic  Manager,  Ass't  (Jcn'l  Pass'r  Agent, 


OYEB  7,000  inilES 


FIRST-CLASS  RAILROAD 

Penetrating  the  most  attractive  portions  of 

Illinois,  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Michigan,  Minnesota, 
Dakota,  Nebraska  and  Wyoming. 


The  Direct  Route 


Milwaukee,  Waukesha,   Madison,  Neenah 

and  Menasha,  Green  Lake,  Marquette, 

Lake  Geneva,  Fox  Lake,  Devil's  Lake. 

St.    Paul,    Minneapolis,    Duluth,   Ashland, 

Lake  MInnetonka,  Yellowstone 

National  Park. 

Council    Bluffs,   Omaha,    Denver  and   the 

Mountains  of  Colorado,  Salt  Lake  City, 

San  Francisco,  Los  Angeles,  Colton, 

San     Diego,     Portland,     Tacoma, 

Seattle,  Victoria,  Vancouver  and 

all    California,    Alaska    and 

Pacific  Coast   Points. 


Jraip 

Consisting  of 


THROUGH  FAST  TRAINS 

Between  CHICAGO  and  destinations,  is  carefully  arranged 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  Through  and  Local  Travel,  and 
its  equipment  of  new  and  euperb  SLEEPING  CAKS, 
PALATIAL  DINING  CARS  and  ELEGANT  PAR- 
LOR CARS  AND  COACHES  is  such  as  to  command 
the  pa'ronage  of  the  l)egt  class  of  travelers.  It  is  the  ONLY 
LINE  to  the  BLACK  HILLS. 

Rates.  Maps,  and  all  information  famished  on  application 
to  any  Ticket  Agent,  or  to  the  General  Passenger  Agent,  at 
Chicago. 


W.  H.  NEWMAN, 

3d  Vice-President. 


J.  M.  WHITMAN, 

General  Manager. 


E.  P.  WILSON, 

General  Passenger  Agent. 


Superb  Train  Service,  Good  Connections,  Fast  Time  and  No  Delays 
Can  all  be  Secured  by  taking  the 

loillieiii  Pacific  B.  i|. 

BETWEEN    THE    EAST  AND 

Dakota,    Manitoba,    Montana,   Idaho,   Washington, 
British  Columbia,  Oregon  and  California. 


THIS  IS  THE 


'Ifellowstgne  Park  and  Qining  C^r  Route, 


The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  is  the  Short  Line  to  Helena> 
Butte,  Tacoma,  Seattle  and  Portland,  Ore.;  is  the  Only  Line 
Running  Pullman  Sleeping  Cars  to  Fergus  Falls,  Grand  Porks, 
Grafton,  Winnipeg,  Fargo,  Helena  and  Butte  City,  and  is  the  Only 
Rail  Line  Reaching  Cheney,  Sprague,  Yakima,  Ellensburgh,  Seattle, 
Tacoma  and  nine-tenths  of  the  Cities  and  Towns  of  Washington. 


Pullman  Sleepers,  Dining  Cars 

AND 

FREE  COLONIST  SLEEPERS 

ON     EXPRESS    TRAINS    DAILY. 


This  Line  Offers  Special  Attractions  to  California  Tourists. 


For  full  information  concerning  rates,  time,  etc.,  call  on  or  address  your  nearest 
ticket  agent,  any  traveling  passenger  agent  of  tlii:*  company, or 

OHMS.  S.  I=EE, 

(General  Passenger  and  Ticket  Agent,  N.  P.  R.  R. 

ST.  PAUL,  MINN.  , 


THE  ANTELOPE  AND  DEER 

OF   AMERICA. 

*A  Comprehensive  Treatise  on  the  Jfatural  History,  Including 

the  Characteristics,  Habits,  Affinities,  and  Capacity 

for  Domestication,  of  the 

ANTELOCAPRA  AND  CERVID^ 

OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 


By   JOHN    DEAN    CATON 


8vo,  4:26  Pages,  5-4  Illustrations.    Cloth,  S2.50 


PUBLISHED    AND    FOB    SALiE    BY 

FOREST  AND   STREAM    PUBLISHING   CO., 

318  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Fred.  Kaempfer, 

TAXIDERMIST,  AND  DEALER  IN 

THXIDERMISTS'    TV^HTERIHLS. 

^^ 


ABTrFICIAL  GLASS  EYES  FOR  STTTFFED  BIRDS,  ANIMALS,  FISH,   Etc. 

Also  Entomological  and  Egg  Implements,  Insect  Pius,  Cork  for 

Insect  Cases,  Egg  Drills,  Etc. ,  Etc. 

SEND  FOR  CATALOGUE   OF  ABOVE   GOODS. 


Birds  and  animals  of  all  kinds  mounted  to  order.    Mounting  of  deer,  elk,  and  buffalo 
heads  a  specialty. 

FRED.  KAEMPFER,  No.  169  E.  Madison  St..  Chicago,  III. 


cruisiNgs  in  the  cascades 

A  NARRATIVE  OF 

Travel,  Exploration,  Amateur  Photography,  Hunting  1  Fishing 

with  Special  Chapters  on  Hunting  the 

Grizzly  Rear,  the  BiifTalo,  Elk,  Antelnira,  Kocky  Mountain  Goat,  and  Deer;  also 

on  Troutiuff  in  the  Itorky  MoiintainN;  on  a  Montana  Uoundup  ; 

liife  among  the  Conboys,  Etc. 

BY  O.  O.  SHIELDS  ("CGQUINA"), 

Author  of    •'  KUSTUKOS  IN  THE   ROCKIES,"    "  HUNTING  I.V  THE    GREAT   WEST," 

"The  Battle  of  the  Bio  Hole,"  Etc. 
12mo.    330  Pages.    75  lllustrat'ons.    Cloth,  $2.00 1  Half  Calf.  $3.00. 

The  learned  writer,  scientist  and  sportsman,  Col.  W.  D.  Piclictt,  better 
known  as  "  P.,"  says  of  this  boolc  :  "  Tlie  true  lover  of  nature  who  delights 
to  occasionally  escape  from  the  annoyances  and  worriments  inseparable 
from  so-called  civilized  life,  and  to  wander  amid  scenes  that  tell  only  of  the 
infinite  power,  the  beneficence,  and  the  grandeur  of  the  Great  lluler;  who 
delights  to  worship  in  the  grandest  of  all  His  temples— the  mountiiins;  who 
realizes  and  feels  His  presence  on  every  mountain  peak,  in  every  dark 
canyon,  in  every  rushing  wind,  in  every  gentle  zephyr,  and  who,  amid  such 
scenes,  above  all  realizes  his  own  weakness  and  littleness;  he  it  is  who  will 
take  pleasure  in  following  the  author  amid  some  of  the  grandest  and  most 
beautiful  scenery  on  this  continent." 

Mr.  T.  S.  Van  Dyke,  author  o)  "The  Still  Hunter,"  and  other  popular 
books,  says:  "It  la  one  of  the  most  entertaining  books  on  field  sports  yet 
published.  Mr.  Saields  always  has  something  to  say,  and  says  it  in  a  way 
that  makes  one  see  it.  He  is  ne\  er  dull,  and  there  is  an  air  of  truth  about 
his  work  that  fully  satisfies  the  reader." 

Mr.  Orin  Belknap,  known  and  loved  of  all  sportsmen  by  his  familiar 
pseudonym  of  "  Uncle  Fuller,"  says:  "  The  author  of  this  work  has  i)laced 
the  sportsmen  of  America  under  lasting  obligations  by  his  pleasing  descrip- 
tions of  his  adventures  in  the  wills  of  these  little-known  mountains." 

"In  all  that  pertains  to  exploration,  the  wild  journeys  into  wild  places, 
the  dangerous  ascent  of  rugged  peaks  and  no  less  perilous  descent  Into 
obscure  valleys,  hitherto  untrodden  by  the  foot  of  man,  the  lungs  expanded 
with  deep  breaths  of  untainted  air,  the  blood  bounding  with  sudden  pros- 
pects and  unexpected  discoveries,  the  keen  feeling  of  full  and  abundant  life 
and  the  nearness  of  the  great  heart  of  nature— in  all  this  the  author  wins, 
and  deserves  to  win,  the  hearty  sympathy  of  readers  of  every  cast  of 
thought,  opinion  and  condition."- -Bc^/ord's  Magazine. 

Says  VV.  IJ.  Leffingwell,  the  gitted  author  of  "  Wild  Fowl  Shooting,"  and 
of  "Shooting  on  Upland,  Field,  and  Marsh  :  "  "I  have  rareiy  encountered, 
anywhere,  such  vivid  descriptions  of  life  in  the  mountains  as  are  found  in 
*  Crusings  in  the  Cascades.' " 

"  Men  who  enjoy  jaunts  into  the  woods  in  search  of  big  game  will  find 
this  book  extremely  interesting."— iVcir  York  Hfrald. 

"'Cruisings  in  the  Cascades'  is  by  far  the  best  thing  Coquina  has  ever 
written."— ^nicrica»i  Field. 

"It  is  a  handsomely  printed  and  finely  illustrated  volume,  made  up  of 
spirited  sketches  of  travels,  explorations,  hunting  and  fishing.  It  is  charm- 
ingly interesting.  The  author  mingles  solid  facts  of  great  value  with 
accounts  of  his  wild  adventures,  and  tells  the  story  with  an  off-hand  style 
that  banishes  sleep  from  tired  eyes."— C/aVrtfifo  Inter-Oeean. 

"  'Cruisings  in  the  Cascades'  is  Mr.  Shields'  latest,  and.  we  think,  best 
publicati(m.  It  will  be  heartily  appreciated  by  American  sportsmen."— 
Shooting  and  Fishing. 

"The  pages  are  breezy  and  the  illustrations  numerous  and  attractive, 
the  camera  having  been  freely  used  by  the  author  in  his  travels."— 2>tr/, 
Field  and  Farm. 

"  Mr.  Shields  is  not  only  a  hunter,  but  an  angler,and  an  amateur  photo- 
grapher, and  on  his  excursions  in  the  mountains  has  made  good  use  of  his 
opportunities.  As  a  narrative  of  adventure  the  book  is  entertaining,  and  as 
a  record  of  sport  it  will  delight  man.v  readers." — Tlic  Literary  U'orlc/. 

"  It  is  sure  to  meet  »vith  a  large  sale."— C/iion(;o  Tritmne. 

"  It  is  by  all  o<lds  the  most  fascinating  book  on  big  game  hunting  ever 
published."— r/ie  J(>itrn«Zi>f. 

This  book  will  be  mailed,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

RAND,  McNALLY  &,  CO.,  Publishers, 

CHICAGO. 


The  American 
Book  of  the  Dog 


The  Origin,  Development,  Special  Characteristics,  Utility, 
Breeding,  Training,  Diseases,  and  Kennel  Manage- 
ment of  all  Important  Breeds  of  Dogs.  . 


A  Book  for  Dog  Fanciers  and  Dog  Owners 

Edited  by  G.  O.  SHIELDS  ("Coquina"), 

Author  of  "  Cruisings  ix  the  Cascades,"  "Rustlings  ix  the  Rockies," 

"Hunting  ix  the  Great  West,"  "The  Battle  of  the  Big 

Hole,"  "The  Big  Game  of  North  America." 

"Camping  and  Camp  Outfits,"  etc. 


8Y0,  700  Pages,  85  Illustrations.     Gloth,  $4.00;  Half  Galf,  $5.00. 


CON 

The  English  Setter  — Bernard  Waters,  Kennel 
Editor  Tlie  American  Field,  and  autlior  of 
••Modern  Training,  Handling,  and  Kennel 
Management." 

The  Irish  Setter— Max  Wenzel,  Secretary  The 
Irish  Setter  Club  of  America,  and  B.  F. 
Seitner,  Vice-President  The  Pointer  Club 
of  America. 

The  Gordon  Setter— Harry  Malcolm.  President 
The  American  Gordon  Setter  Club. 

The  Pointer Charles  K.  West  brook,  A.  M. 

The  Greyhound-Col.  RoKer  I).  Williams.  Presi- 
dent The  Iroquois  Hunting  and  RidingClub. 

The  Deerhound Dr.  Q.  Van  Huminell. 

The  Fo.xhound— Dr.  M.  G.  Ellze.v,  Associate 
Editor  The  National  Economist. 

The  Bassethound Lawrence  Timpson. 

The  Dachshund William  Loeffler. 

The  Bio  dhound J.  L.  Winchell. 

The  Russian  Wolfhound William  Wade. 

The  Beagle  — H.  F.  Schellhass,  President  The 
American-Enjrltsh  Beagle  Club. 

The  Irish  Water  Spaniel— P.  T.  Madison,  Secre- 
tary The  Indiana  Kennel  Club. 

The  English  Water  Spaniel-William  A.  Bruette. 

The  Clumber  Spaniel— F.  H.  F.  Mercer,  Kennel 
Editor  Sports  Afield. 

The  Sussex  Spaniel— A.  Clinton  Wilmerdlng, 
President  The  .Vinerican  Spaniel  Cluli. 

The  Cocker  Spaniel J.  Otis  Fellows. 

The  F  X  Terrier— August  Belmont,  Jr..  Presi- 
dent The  American  Kennel  Club,  and  The 
American  Fox  Terrier  Club. 


NTS. 

Tlie  Chesapeake  Bay  Dog-George  W.  Kierstead. 

The  Bedlington  Terrier W.  H.  Russell. 

The  Irish  Terrier Dr.  J.  S.  Xiven. 

The  Bull  Terrier  Frank  F   Dole. 

The  White  English  Terrier E.  F.  Burns. 

The  Ain^dale  Terrier F.  H.  F.  .Mercer. 

The  Scottish  Terrier John  H.  Naylor. 

The  Dandle  Dinmont  Terrier— John  H.  Xaylor. 

The  Skye  Terrier Lawrence  Timpson. 

The  Black  and  Tan  Terrier Dr.  H.  T.  Foote. 

The  .Maltese  Terrier Miss  A.  H.  Whitney. 

The  Collie— Henrv  .Jarrett  and  J.  E.  Dougherty. 

The  Old  English  Sheep  Dog William  Wade. 

The  Great  Dane  (German  Dogge) 

Prof.  J.  H.  H.  Maenner. 

The  St.  Bernard F.  E.  Lamb. 

The  Mastiff William  Wade. 

The  Newfoundland L.  F.  Whitman. 

The  Bulldog ...John  E.  Thayer. 

The  Dalmatian  Coach  Dog 

Maj.  T.  J.  Woodcock. 

The  Poodle W.  R.  Furne.ss. 

The  Italian  Gre vhound 

The  Pug ". G.  W.  Fisher. 

The  Mexican  Hairless  Dog Mrs.  Elroy  Foote. 

The  Toy  Spaniels— Miss  Marion  E.  Bannister, 

Secretary  The  New  York  Prt  Dog  Club. 

The  Schipperke E.R.Spalding. 

Diseases  of  the  Dog.  and  their  Remedies- Dr. 

J.  Frank   Perry   ("' Ashinont ";.    author   of 

"Dogs;  Their  ManageuKUt  and  Treatment 

in  Disease.' 
Spaniel  Training F.  H.  F.  Mercer. 


This  book  -wiU  be  mailed,  post  paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

RAND,  McNALLY  &.  CO.,   162  to  172  Adams  St.,  Chicago. 


Camping  i^mp  Outfits 

A  MANUAL  OF  INSTRUCTION   FOR  YOUNG 
AND  OLD  SPORTSMEN. 


BY  G.  O.  Shields  ("Coquina"), 

Au!!:iir  of   •'CnrrsiNGs  ix  the  Cascades,"  "The  Big   Game  of  Xohth 

America,"  "Rustlings  in  the  Rockies,"  Hunting  in  the  Gkeat 

West,"  "The  Battle  of  the  Big  Hole,"  etc. 


12iyio.     170  Pages.    30  Illustrations.     Cloth,  $1.25. 


The  book  also  contains  a  chapter  by  Dr.  CHARLES  GILBERT  DAVIS,  on 

CAMP  HYGIENE,  MEDICINE,  AND  SURGERY ;   one  by  Col.  J.  FRY 

LAWRENCE,  on  CAMP  COOKERY ;  and  one  by  FRANK  F. 

FRISBIE,  on  THE  DIAMOND  HITCH,  OR  HOW  TO 

LOAD  A  PACK  HORSE. 


■■  Evf ry  i-eader  of  sportsmen's  litei-ature  will  recognize,  at  once,  the  fact  that,  herein, 
Mr.  Shields  has  a  subject  on  which  he  is  thoroughly  comi)etent  to  instruct.  The  l>ook  is  the 
result  of  thirty  yeai"s"  experience  in  the  woods  and  mountains,  and  bristles  with  jxiints  from 
cover  to  covt'r.  The  articles  by  Dr.  DavLs,  Col.  Lawrence,  and  Mr.  Frisbie,  on  Camj)  Medicine 
and  Surgery.  Camp  Cotikeiy,  and  the  Diamond  Hitch  are  also  timely  and  full  of  instruc- 
tion."'— Aiiiiricfin  Fiihl. 

■■  -Vny  young  man,  or  old  one  either,  not  e.vperienced  in  camp  life,  who  is  anticipating 
an  outing  in  the  woods,  will  find  this  neat  volume  a  good  investment.  It  is  no  theoretical 
writing,  but  a  book  lx>rn  of  exiJerience,  wi.se  in  its  suggestions,  and  gootl  ujwn  every  page. 
It  is  iKit  often  one  sees  a  more  thoroughly  practical  writing.  It  covers  everything:  The 
outfit  ill  clothing,  in  foo<l.  in  tackle,  in  implement.s.  with  valuable  advice  to  govern  life  in 
camp.  <  »M  siw>rtsmen  will  enjoy  this  volume  so  i)lea.santly  written,  although  it  may  tell 
tliHjii  littli-  that  tlu-y  liave  not  already  learned  from  e.xi)erieuce,  and  yoiuig  ones  will  tind  it 
invahiabl'-.""  — ''/i/'v(</.i  Inier-Ociitn. 

"Tliis  boiik  shuuld  Ix'  in  the  lil)rary  of  every  sjiortsman.  and  will  save  its  cost  many 
times  to  each  and  every  purchaser,  by  the  practical  and  useful  instruction  it  im])arts.""— 
Chiri,,,,'  II-r,'hl. 

"Mr.  Shiflds  has  been  camping  and  studying  wo<xlcraft  for  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
and  sun-ly  should  and  does  know  about  all  there  is  of  camp  lore.  In  "Cainiiing  and  Camp 
(Outfits  "'  lif  wastes  iiu  words,  but  gets  to  the  jxiiiit  by  the  shortest  route.  Every  jvige.  and 
every  lini-.  ci>nveys  valuable  information.  Old  cam]H'rs  will  enjoy  reading  this  Inxik  becau.se 
it  is  practical,  and  young  caim>»-rs  can  not  afford  to  lie  without  it.""  — .s;;"»(7.s  AJk-Ul. 

This  book  -will  be  mailed,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

RAND,  McNALLY  &  CO.,  162  to   172  Adams  Street,  Chicago. 


/America  9 


xjx 


dame  pisl^es 


How,  When,  and  Where  to  Angle  for  them. 


edit?:d  ev 


G.  O.  SHIKIvDS    ("COQUINA"), 

Author  (if  "Cruisixgs  ix  tuk  Cascades,"  "  Kl'stlincis  ix  the  Kcxkies, 

"  IIUXTIXG    IX   THE   GrKAT    WeST,"    "  TiIE   BaTTLE    OF   THE    BiG 

Hole,"  "The  Big  Game  of  Xoktii  A.mekica," 
"  Campixg  axd  Camp  Outfits,"  etc. 


8vo,  500  Pages,  80  Illustrations.    Cloth,  $4.00;  Half  Calf,  $5.00. 


ooisrT:BiTTS. 


The  Salmon fliarli^s  Halldck, 

Associate  flditor  The  Aiiu'iii  an  Angler  ; 
antlior  of  "Tlie  Sportsman's  Gazel  tccr,'"  ete. 

The  I'aeltlc  Salmon. .W.  A.  Peiryc'Sillalii-um'"), 
Author  of  '•  Klk-Iluntlng  in  the  Olympic 
Mountains  "  etc. 

The  LandLocked  Salmon....!.  G.  A.  Creigliton, 

The  lUaek  Bass Dr.  .^.  A.  Henshall, 

Antlior  of  "The  Book  of  the  Black  liass," 
•■(  amping  and  Cruising  in  Florida."  etc. 

The  'i'arpon  W.  N".  HaUleman, 

Proprietor  The  Louisville  Courier-Journal. 

The  Striped  Bass Francis  Endlcott, 

Angling  Editor  Outing  Magazine. 

The  Blueflsh Prof.  c;.  Brown  Goode, 

Assistant  Secretary 'I  he  Smitlisonian  Insti- 
tution, and  author  of  'American  Fishes"  etc. 

The  Muskallonge Dr.  J.  A.  Henshall 

and  A   A.  .\losier. 

The  Brook  Trout. ..  .F.  H.  Thurston  ("Kelpie"). 

Trouting  on  th"  Nipigon \V,  H.  H.  Murray, 

Author  of  "Davliglit  Land,"  "Adirondack 
Tales."  etc. 

The  Itocky  Mountain  Trout G.  O.  Shields 

("toquina") 


The  Mackinaw  Trout Rev.  Luther  Pardee. 

Sea  Bass,  Sea  Trout,  Spanish  Mackerel. (irouper. 
Mangrove  Snapper,  Sheep.she-id.  and  other 

Southern  Fishes S.C.Clarke, 

Authorof  "Fishes  of  the  Atlantic  Coast, "etc. 

The  Gravling F.  H.  'Ihurston. 

The  U'all-Kyed  Pike A.  .\  .Mosii-r. 

The  Pickerel W.  D.  Tumlin. 

The  White  Perch     Fred.  .Mather, 

Late  .\ngllng  PMitor  Forest  and  Stream,  and 
member  of  riiited  States  and  New  York 
State  Fish  <'om;nissions. 

The  Yellow  Bass,  White  Bass,  Strawberrv  Bass, 
Rock  Bass,  Grapple.  Suntlsh,  Yellow  Perch, 

and  other  minor  Fishes 

Prof.  David  Stirr  Jordan, 
President  The  University  of  Indiana:  author 
of  "Synopsis  of  Fishes  of  Xorth  America," 
"Science  Sketches,"  etc. 

The  Senses  of  FisheS William  C.  Harris, 

Editor  The  American  Angler. 

Fishing  Tackle,  and  How  to  Make  It 

J.  Harrington  Keene. 

Reels,  Their  Use  and  Abuse B.  C.  Milam. 

The  Angler's  Camp  Outnt G.  O.  Shields. 


This  book  ■will  be  mailed,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

RAND,  McNALLY   &   CO.,   162  to   172  Adams  St.,  Chicago. 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


THE6ATTLE0FTHEBIGH0LE 

A  History  of  Gen.  Gibbon's  Engagement  with  the 

Nez  Perce  Indians,  In  the  Big  Hole  Basin, 

Montana,  August  9,  1  877. 

12mo.    150  Pages,  Profusely  Illustrated.    Cloth,  $1.00. 


Read  the  following  indorsment  of  the  book  from  General  Gibbon: 

Headquartehs  Department  of  the  CoLrMBi.*, 

.,     ^ Vancouver  Barracks,  W.  T.,  August  11, 1889. 

Mr.  G.O.  Shields,  Chicago,  111. 

i>EAR  Sir:  I  was  very  much  pleased  with  your  account  of  the  Hig  Hole 
flght,  and  I  believe  your  statement  of  the  facts  are  all  correctly  given.  The 
book  is  well  written  and  handsomely  printed  and  bound.  The  likenesses 
are  all  good  and  easily  recognizable.  If  I  were  to  criticise  your  book  at  all,  I 
should  say  that  your  comments  on  the  story  are  somewhat  too  complimen- 
tary to  myself. 

I  thank  you  for  piacing  on  record,  in  a  permanent  shape,  such  a  satis- 
factory account  of  the  battle. 

Very  truly  yours,       •  John  Gibbon. 

And  this  from  Captain  Coolidge: 

Camp  Pilot  Butte,  Wyoming,  March  17, 1889. 
Mr.  G.  O.  Shields,  Chicago,  111. 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  read  with  a  great  deal  of  interest  and  pleasure  the 
manuscript  of  your  book,  entitled  "The  Battle  of  the  Big  Hole,"  and  as  a 
participant  in  the  tragic  alfair  it  describes  can  cheerfully  commend  ic  to 
all  who  are  interested  in  obtaining  a  true  history  of  the  Nez  Perce  campaign. 
It  is  a  graphic  and  truthful  account  of  the  Big  Hole  fight,  and  of  the  events 
leading  up  to  it,  andmust  prove  a  most  valuable  contribution  to  the  history 
of  our  Indian  wars. 

1  trust  the  book  will  meet  with  the  generous  reception  it  deserves. 
Yours  truly,  Chas.  A.  Coolidge. 

Capt.  7th  U.  S.  Infty. 

"It  is  good  to  recall  from  time  to  time  the  gallant  conduct  of  our  sol- 
diers in  the  West,  and  Mr.  Shields  is  to  be  thanked  for  refreshing  people's 
memories  in  regard  to  this  important  event."— iVew  York  Tinier. 

"It  is  a  graphic  storv  of  Indian  warfare,  and  the  author  is  to  be  thanked 
for  the  manner  in  which  he  has  again  brought  to  remembrance  the  story  of 
a  battle  in  which  the  brave  and  historic  Seventh  Infantry  won  a  great 
renown.  The  book  ia  a  valuable  addition  to  the  history  of  the  Great  West." 
—  Vhicayo  Herald. 

"It  is  an  exciting  history  of  Gen.  Gibbon's  engagement  with  the  Nez 
Perce  Indians.  It  is  a  well-told  story,  printed  in  large,  clear  type,  with 
many  portraits  of  the  actors  in  the  contest."— C/iicayo  Inter  Ocean. 

"In  the  battle  of  the  Big  Hole,  Mr.  G.  O.  Shields  (Coquina)  gives  an 
exceedingly  interesting  description  of  one  of  the  most  desperate  tights  in  the 
history  of  our  Indian  wars.  He  gives  his  readers  a  very  accurate  idea  of 
some  of  the  hardships  necessarily  endured  in  such  Western  campaigns,  and 
takes  occasion  to  eulogize,  in  no  faint  terms,  the  American  soldier  in  gen- 
eral, and  (ieneralJohn  Gibbon  in  particular."— Joionalo/  the  Military  Serv- 
ice hiMitntio)!. 

This  hook  willt»e  mailed ,  post-paid, on  receipt  of  pries  by 

RAND,  McNALLY  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

CHICAGO. 


BY     THE     SAME     AUTHOR. 


Hunting  in  the  Great  West. 

(Rustlings  In  the  Rockies.) 

12mo  Cloth.  Over  300  Pages,  Illustrated.  Price,  75  Cents. 


Tenth  Edition  Lately  Issued. 


C-O-N-T'E-N-T-S. 


part  i.   rustlings  in  the  rockies. 

Part  ii.   In  the  Big  Horn  Mountains. 
PART  III.  Ten  Days  in  Montana. 

Part  iv.  the  Gulf  Coast  of  Florida, 
Part  v.   Miscellaneous. 


"Lovers  of  all  kinds  of  sport  will  be  charmed  with  these  pages.  The  author 
tells  the  story  of  his  various  hunting  e.xperiences  in  such  a  genial,  modest,  pleauaut 
manner  that  you  are  very  sorry  when  the  book  comes  to  an  end.  You  unconsciously 
catch  the  hunting  fevar,  and  feel  like  packing  up  rod  and  gun  and  starting  away  to 
the  mountains. 

"  For  those  whom  stem  fate  confines  to  the  boundaries  of  civilization— who  lack 
the  time  necessary  for  interviewing  the  l>ear,  the  elk,  and  the  anteloi^e  m  their 
native  homes,  there  is  nothing  better  or  more  entertaining  than  a  perusal  of  Mr. 
Shields'  book. 

"If  you  can  not  rustle  in  the  Rockies,  you  can  read  'Rustlings  in  the  Rockies,' 
which  is" the  next  best  thing.''— Belford's  Slmjazine. 

"  It  is  one  of  the  most  thrillingly  interesting  works  on  field  sports  extant.  Tliere 
are  many  fine  things  in  the  book,  but  Mr.  Shields'  description  of  the  death  of  the 
great  elk  is  a  masterpiece  in  its  line,  and  stamps  the  author  as  a  writer  of  rare  narra- 
tive ix)\ver.''— jT/ie  American  Field. 

"We  have  received  a  copy  of  Mr.  Shields'  book.  'Hunting  in  the  Great  AVest,' 
and  confess  to  the  reading  of  every  word  of  it.  We  were  sorry  wlien  we  reached 
the  last  page,  and  hope  this  gifted  writer  will  soon  favor  the  world  with  other  l)ooks 
on  field  sports." — The  American  Angler. 

"An  intensely  interesting  work.  It  should  occupy  a  place  in  every  sportsman's 
library."—  Outing. 

'"Hunting  in  the  Great  West  "must  prove  both  interesting  and  instructive  to 
every  lover  of  field  sports."— C/i(«((/o  Times. 

"It  will  occupy  a  prominent  place  in  the  literature  of  the  chase."— -Vejo  York 
Herald. 

"A  thoroughly  readable  and  enjoyable  work."— C/t/cof/o  Tribune. 

"  It  is  a  captivating  volume  on  out-door  sports  and  adventures.  One  of  the  good 
points  of  the  author  is  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  protecting  game  and  fish  by 
proper  laws.  *  *  *  *  xhe  volume  is  highly  entertaming,  and  is  full  of  incidental 
mformation.  For  hunter  and  fisherman  it  con.stitutes  a  {eaat."  —  Cincinnati 
Commercial.  ^___ 

The  book  will  be  mailed,  postpaid,  on   receipt  of  price   by 

RAND,  McNALLY  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

CHICAGO. 


WILD  FOWL  SHOOTING 


BY 


WILLIAM  BRUCE  LEFFINGWELL 


TREATS    OF 

Guns,  Decoys,  Blinds,  Boats,  0  Retrievers, 

FOR    WILD    FOWLING. 


This  Book  has  never  Received  an  Adverse  Criticism. 

First  Edition  of  1,000  Copies  sold  in  less  than  30  Days. 

Endorsed  by  Every  Prominent  Sportsman  and  Sporting  Paper  in  America. 

DR.  N.  ROWE,  o(  A7nerican  i^fVM,  the  leading  authority  in  America,  says  : 

Franli  Forester  has  the  reputation  of  having  been  the  best  writer  on  field  sports  we 
ever  had,  but  he  never  wrote  a  work  of  such  enduring  merit  as  this.  I  consider  it  the  best 
book  on  field  sx)orts  ever  written. 

Forest  and  Stream;  Shooting  and  Fishing;  Outing;  Turf,  Field,  and  Farm; 
Breeder  ami  Sportsman;  Sports  Afield;  Sporting  Goods  Gazette;  Charles  W. 
Budd;  James  R.  Stice;  H.  McMurchy,  a^/id  hundreds  of  otJiers,  endorse  it  as  tJie 
best  tcork  on  the  subject  extant. 

Write  for  Descriptive  Circular  to 

RAND,  MCNALLY  &  CO., 

Chicago,  III. 

Price,  $2.50  Cloth  ;  $3.50  Half  Morocco. 


Tie DDiYeisaiBase  Bail  Guide 

Being  the  tnont  cottiprehenaive  collection  of  Information 

about  the  Kattonal  Game  ever  before  printed 

between   the   covers   of  one    book. 


It  Contains  Special  Articles  on  tiie  Leading  Points  of  tiie  Gama 

PROM   THK  PENS   OF 

A.  G.  Spalding,  Prank  H.  Brunell,  Chas.  A.  Comiskey,  T.  H.  Carroll,  N.  Fred. 

Pfeffer,  "Wiiliam  E.  (Buck)  Ewing,  Timothy  J.  Keefe,  E  N.  Crane.  'Wm. 

A.  Sunday,  W.  A   Latham,  Mark  E.  Baldwin,  Ed.  Hanlon,  James 

A.  Hart,  C.  A.  Weidenleller,  and  other  prominent  exponents. 


Also  the  full  and  complete  schedules,  players'  averages,  etc.,  of  the   leading 
associations   In    the   field   for  the   coming  season,  as  well  as   carefully 
collected  data  touching  the  personnel  and  games  of  every   pro- 
fessional base-ball  organization  now  before  the  country. 

By  John  C.  Eckel  and  Frank  Connelly, 

OP  THE   CHICAGO   TIMES. 


ofs'xcsx.a.XjXj'S'  x:3Vx>oxi.ss:z3. 


Bound  in  Handsome  Paper  Cover.     Illustrated.    Price,  50  Cents. 

Sloiies  of  He  Base  Ball  Field 

The  National  Game's  Great  Exponents 
and  their   Methods, 


TOGBTUER  WITH  THK 


NATIONAL   PLAYING    RULES 

GOVERNING  ALL  CLUBS   PARTY   TO  TUB  NATIONAL  AGREEMENT. 


AN     ENTERTAINING    COLLECTIOTM    OF    DRESSING-ROOM    YARNS 
AND     HUMOROUS     INCIDENTS     IN     THE     LIVES 
OF    NOTED     PLAYERS. 

Correspondent  of  the  Philadelphia  Sporting  Life,  and  Press  Representative  with  the 
"Around  the  World  Tour"  of  tlie  Chicago  and  AU-Amerlcan  Teams. 


Bound  in  Handsome  Illustrated  Paper  Cover.    Price,  35  Cents. 


For  Sale  by  all  Booksellers.   Sent  prepaid  on  receipt  of  price. 

Rand,  McNally  &  Co.,  Publishers, 

CHICAGO  AND   NEW  YORK. 


RAND,  McNALLY  a  OO.'S  POCKET  MAPS  OF  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES. 


Afghanistan,  Indexed  (paper  cover) $  25 

Africa,  in  tliree  sheets,  two  being  21  xl4  inches,  and  one  14  z  11  inches,  and 

showing  plans  of  cities  of  Algiers  and  Tanis 75 

Alaska,  37  x;iO  inches 1  00 

Asia,  21  xl4  inches .•. 50 

Australia  and  New  Zealand,  with  plans  of  Sydney  and  Pt.  Jackson,  21x14  in  50 

Austro-Hungarian  Monarchy,  with  plan  of  Vienna,  21x14  inches 50 

Belgium  and  The  Netherlands,  with  plan  of  Brussels,  21  xl4  inches 60 

British  America  (Dominion  of  Canada),  21  s  14  inches 50 

British  Columbia,  14x21  inches 50 

Central  America,  14x11  inches 50 

China,  21  x  14  inches 50 

Cuba,  21x14  inches 60 

Denmark,  with  North  portion  of  the  German  Empire,  comprising  bcbles- 

wiglloleteinand  Laueuburg,  11x14  inches 60 

Egj-pt  and  the  Egyptian  Soudan  (paper  coTer) 25 

England  and  Wales,  21  x  14  inches,  with  Index  of  cities,  towns,  etc 75 

Europe,  21  x  14  inches 50 

France,  21  x  14  inches,  with  plan  of  Paris,  and  Index  to  cities,  towns,  etc.  75 

Germany,  in  two  sheets,  21x14  inches  each,  with  Index  to  cities,  towns,  etc.  1  00 

Greece,  and  the  Ionian  Islands,  21  x  14  inches 60 

Holland,  see  Belgium. 

Honduras,  48x86  inches;  scale,  10  miles  to  1  inch 5  00 

India,  Indo-China  and  i'urtherlndia,  with  plans  of  Calcutta  and  Bombay, 

21x14  inches 50 

Ireland,  21  xl4  inches,  with  Index  to  cities,  towns,  etc 75 

Italy,  21x14  inches 50 

Japan,  in  two  sheets,  21  x  14  inches  each 1  00 

Mexico,  21  xl4  inches 50 

Mexico,  72x52  inches,  handsomely  colored  (in  leather  case) 7  50 

Netherlands,  see  Belgium 

New  Zealand,  see  Australia 

North  America,  showing  the  West  India  Islands  aud  Central  America, 

21x14  inches 50 

Oceanica.  21x14  inches 50 

Palestine,  with  plans  showing  Environs   of  Jerusalem,  joumeyings  of 

Christ,  and  sketch  showing  divisions  into  tribes,  21  x  14  inches..  60 

Persia  and  Afghanistan,  14x  11  inches 50 

Portugal,  see  Spain..: 

Russia  (European),  21x14  inches. 60 

Scotlaud,  21x14  inches,  with  Index  to  cities,  towns,  etc .  76 

South  America,  in  two  sheets,  21  x  14  inches,  showing  plans  of  Bay  of  Rio 

de  Janeiro,  Isthmus  of  Panama  ai.d  City  of  Buenos  Ayres 75 

Spain  and  Portugal,  with  plans  of  MadriJ  and  Lisbon,  21x14  inches 60 

Sweden  and  Norway,  21  xl4  inches 50 

Switzerland,  21 X  14  inches •  50 

Turkey  in  Asia  (Asia  Minor),  and  Transcaucasia,  21x14  inches 50 

Turkey  in  Europe,  21  x  14  inches 50 

World,  on  Merca tor's  Projection.  21  x  14  inches 50 

World,  on  Mercator's  Projection,  58x41  inches 2  60 

Except  where  otherwise  stated,  these  Maps  are  neatly  bound  in  cloth  cases. 

We  make  the  production  of  maps  a  specialty,  and  keep  the  largest  stock  of 
map  plates  in  the  country.  Are  prepared  to  furnish  Authors  and  I*ublishers 
with  maps  to  illustrate  Books  of  Travel  and  Historical  and  Educational 
Works  at  a  merely  nominal  charge  over  the  cost  of  paper  and  printing. 

Maps  which  require  to  be  specially  prepared,  are  compiled,  engraved  and 
printed  with  the  utmost  care  and  accuracy. 

A  full  line  of  Maps  of  the  States  and  Territories  inU.  S.  and  of  Foreign  coun- 
tries, on  a  large  scale;  also,  of  Modern  Geographical,  Classical,  Political, 
Physical,  Astronomical,  Biblical,  Anatomical  and  Biological  Atlases,  Globes 
and  Map  Racks,  kept  in  stock. 

RAND,  McNALLY  &  CO.,  PubUshers, 


The  Rialto  Series 


The  books  of  this  series  are  all  works  of  special  merit,  and 
are  either  copyrigrht  productions  of  American  authors,  or 
noteworthy  writingrs  of  foreign  authors. 

They  are  bound  in  neat  and  modest  paper  covers,  at  50  cts. 
each;  and  most  of  them  also  in  tasteful  cloth  bindings,  with 
gold  back  and  side  titles,  at  $  |  .00  each,  postpaid- 

The  paper  series,  being  entered  at  the  Chicago  Post  Office, 
is  mailable  at  one  cent  a  pound. 


The  Dream  ( Le  Reve).    By  E.  Zola.    Illustrated.    Paper  and  cloth. 
The  Iron  Master  (  Le  3Iaitre  de  Forges;.    I3y  Georges  Ounet.     Illns- 

Irated.    Paper  and  cloth. 
The  Blackhall  Ghosts.    By  Sarah  Tytleb. 
The  Immortal,  or  one  of  the  "Forty"  (L.'Immortel).  By  A.  Daudet. 

Illustrated.    Paper  and  cloth. 
Marriage  and  Divorce.    By  Ap  Richard  and  others.    Paper  and  cloth. 
Daniel  Trentworthy;  a  Tale  of  the  Great  Fire.    By  John  McGovern. 

Typogravure  Illustrations.    Paper  and  cloth. 
The  Silence  of  Dean  Alaltland.    By  Maxwell  Grey.    Paper  and  cloth. 
Mikanor.    By  Henry  Gbeville.    Translated  by  Mrs.  E.  E.  Chase.    Typo- 

gravure  Illustrations.    Cloth  and  paper. 
Dr.  Raiueaii.    By  Georges  Ohnet.    Illustrated.    Paper  and  cloth. 
The  Slaves  of  Folly.    By  Wm.  Horace  Brown.    Cloth  and  paper. 
Merze;    The  Story  of  an    Actress.    By  Marau   Ellis   Ryan.    Typo- 

gravure  Illustrations.    Cloth  and  paper. 
BIy  Uncle  Barbassou.    By  Mario  Ucuard.    Illustrated.    Paper  and  cloth. 
Up  Terrapin  River.    By  Opie  P.  Read.    Cloth  and  paper. 

Jacob  Valmont,  Manager.  By  Geo.  A.  Wall  and  G.  B.  IIeckel.  Illus- 
trated.   Cloth  and  paper. 

Herbert  .Severance.    By  M.  French-Sheldon. 

Kings  In  Kxile.    By  A.  Daudet.    Illustrated.    Cloth  and  paper. 

The  Abbe  Constantin.  By  Lroovic  IIalevy,  with  Thirty-six  Illustra- 
tions bv  Madeleine  Lemaire.  Double  number.  Half  morocco,  gilt 
top,  $3.00. 

Ned    Stafford's   Experiences    in    the    United    States.       By   Philip 

MiLFOUD. 

The  Jfew  Prodigal.    By  Stephen  Paul  Sheffield. 

Pere  Goriot.    By  Honore  de  Balzac.    Half  Morocco,  $1.50. 

A  Strange  Infatuation.    By  Lewis  Harrison.    Illustrated. 

Journal    of  Marie    Bashkirtseff.    Only  unabridged  edition  published. 

Cloth,  gS.OO;  half  morocco,  g3.50. 
Numa  Roumestan.    By  A.  Daudet.    Illustrated.    Half  Morocco,  81.50. 


LATER    LISTS    CAN    BE    HAD    ON    APPLICATION. 


Rand^  McNally  &  Uu.,  FublisherB^ 

c?zzzo.A.ca-o. 

323   Broadway,   NEW    YORK. 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


1 


J, 


Form  L9 — i 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    001  112  577    0 


a 


\£Z 


t 


PLEAtf  DO   NOT   REMOVE 
THIS   BOOK  CARDS 


♦. 


Sr> 


^TOIWDJO^ 


University  Research  Library 


- 


ja. 


